Football back on war-battered pitches in Sudan capital

Football has returned to Sudan's war-scarred capital as the domestic league staged its first matches since the conflict began (Ebrahim Hamid)

(Ebrahim Hamid/AFP/AFP)

Football returned to Sudan's war-scarred capital on Friday as the domestic league staged its first matches since the conflict began at battered stadiums on the edges of a largely abandoned Khartoum.

Fighting that erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left much of the capital heavily damaged and largely deserted, even after government forces pushed their rivals out of the city.

The opening fixture was held at Kober Stadium in Khartoum North, just across the Blue Nile to the northeast of the centre, while another was played at the same time in Omdurman, on the opposite side of the capital.

At Kober Stadium, capital club Al Merrikh beat Ahli Madani 3–1 in front of several hundred supporters who braved intense heat of up to 42C and the scars of war around the ground.

"We haven't seen our team for three years," said Assim Hussein, an Al Merrikh supporter.

"This is a historic moment for us," he told AFP, smiling as the players walked out.

Outside the stadium, burnt-out cars lined nearby streets, while walls leading to the gates were pockmarked with bullet holes and shrapnel.

Inside, the stands were dusty and partially unusable, with many fans standing throughout the match.

The dugouts were little more than rows of plastic chairs, separated from fans by a wire barrier.

Kober Stadium is not usually used for top-flight matches, as Khartoum's main venues remain unfit to host games after the conflict.

• 'Just to see my team' -

That did little to dampen the mood. Fans waved club flags, beat drums and played wind instruments as chants echoed off the concrete.

Among the crowd was Musab Abdel-Majid, who travelled about 190 kilometres (118 miles) from Wad Madani in Al-Jazirah state to support Ahli Madani.

"I came all the way just to see my team play again," he told AFP.

Mustafa al-Amin, an Ahli Madani team official, said sport could help heal divisions. "Sport is always a message of peace," he said.

Sudan had not held a meaningful domestic league since the outbreak of the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

The country's leading clubs, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, were forced to compete abroad during the conflict, playing in leagues in Mauritania and Rwanda. Al Hilal won Rwanda's top-flight title this week.

Following a lull in fighting last year, the two clubs returned to take part in a short Elite League tournament in River Nile state, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) northeast of the capital, which was considered safer.

The current competition follows a similar format, with eight teams competing over seven weeks for places in African club competitions.

Despite the conflict, Sudan reached the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, its best performance since 2012.

More than 1.8 million people have returned to Khartoum since last year, according to the United Nations, but the city remains unstable.

Drone attacks have targeted parts of Khartoum, including the airport, several times in recent weeks.

Access to water and electricity is still scarce, and large areas of downtown Khartoum have become silent and hollowed out.

Once-busy avenues are lined with empty, looted buildings, while residents warn that unexploded ordnance may still be hidden beneath rubble, parks and streets.

Omdurman, however, shows cautious signs of recovery. Markets have reopened, traffic has slowly returned and small businesses are operating intermittently, drawing residents back after months of displacement.

ab-maf/dc