Homeless Sudan get AFCON campaign underway with victory against Niger

Sudan successfully navigated the challenge of not being able to host matches at home due to ongoing civil unrest by securing a 1-0 victory over Niger as the qualifying rounds for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations commenced on Wednesday.

They emerged as the sole winners, while the other three matches—Comoros versus Gambia, Libya against Rwanda, and Tanzania facing Ethiopia—ended in draws.

Since April 2023, conflict between the national army and a paramilitary group in Sudan has compelled the national team to conduct their training and matches abroad. Sudan played host to Niger in Juba, the capital of neighboring South Sudan, where a goal from Abo Eisa, who plays in Thailand, in the 51st minute ensured they earned all three points in Group F.

Comoros also faced the challenge of not having a suitable international-standard stadium, leading them to host Gambia in El Jadida, a city on the Moroccan Atlantic coast. They broke the deadlock in Group A with a goal from Youssouf M'Changama in the 37th minute. However, Musa Barrow equalized for Gambia just before halftime, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The Group D match between Libya and Rwanda in Tripoli also concluded with a 1-1 scoreline, featuring a goal from Subhi al Dhawi in the 17th minute and an equalizer from Innocent Nshuli shortly after the second half began. In Group H, Ethiopia failed to register a single shot on target, resulting in a goalless draw against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

On Thursday, seven additional qualifiers are set to take place, featuring four former African champions: Algeria, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, and Tunisia among the teams competing.