Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan overtake Senegal in World Cup qualifiers

Sudan, under the leadership of Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah, are making a strong push for their first-ever World Cup qualification, having started the qualifiers impressively with seven points from three games.

On Thursday, they secured a significant 2-0 victory over Mauritania in Nouakchott, taking full control of their group, which also includes Senegal.

This victory brings Sudan’s total to seven points, two ahead of former African champions Senegal, who were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in Diamniadio.

Sudan’s campaign began with a draw against Togo, followed by a win over DR Congo, and then Thursday’s triumph over Mauritania. This strong start has given them an early advantage in their quest for World Cup qualification.

Appointed in September 2023, Kwesi Appiah, along with his Ghanaian assistant Ignatius Osei-Fosu, has transformed the Sudanese team. Before Appiah’s arrival, Sudan had not won a match since March 2023.

However, he broke this streak with a win over Chad, and since then, Sudan have won three of their last five games, fostering a belief that something spectacular is within reach despite the long road ahead in the qualifiers.

Sudan’s next match is against South Sudan in Juba, where Appiah’s men will be favourites to win. This game presents another opportunity for Sudan to maintain their consistency and keep their World Cup dreams alive.

Sudan have never qualified for the World Cup, and Kwesi Appiah, who was the first Ghanaian to lead the Black Stars to a World Cup in 2014, could make history once again in the North African country. His appointment was not a surprise, given his impressive three-year spell at Sudanese giants Al Khartoum.

With the team’s recent successes, Sudanese fans are beginning to believe that this could be the year the 1970 African champions achieve something more remarkable on the international stage.