Results that shook African football

Sudan team caused a big surprise in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa.

This result helps Sudan continue to lead Group B, creating a surprising situation in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa. With 11 points after 5 matches, Sudan surpassed the Democratic Republic of Congo (10 points), Senegal (9 points), Togo (4 points) to lead the group. If Sudan maintains this position, it will go straight to the 2026 World Cup.

In the African region, the top 9 teams from the 9 groups after the end of the qualifying round will participate in the 2026 World Cup, while the 4 best second-placed teams in the groups will participate in the intercontinental play-off round. With the current situation of Group B, the possibility of Senegal - the leading candidate for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup - being eliminated is very likely.

Before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa took place, few people believed that Sudan, a country currently engulfed in a civil war that has lasted since April 2023, could create a surprise in Group B. In the FIFA rankings last June, Sudan was only ranked 123rd, behind both Vietnam and Indonesia.

These favorable results have helped Sudan rise to 113th place in the FIFA rankings in March. However, compared to Senegal (ranked 17th in the world) or the Democratic Republic of Congo (ranked 61st), Sudan is still considered much lower.

The Sudanese national team cannot play at home and has had to choose Benghazi, Libya, as the venue for World Cup qualifiers. The civil war has also caused the suspension of the Sudanese national championship, forcing the country's two top clubs, Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh, to play in the national championship of neighboring Mauritania this season.

However, coach James Kwesi Appiah's team still showed incredible resilience, maintaining an unbeaten record after the first leg. In the recent match against Senegal, Sudan stood firm against the opponent's expensive stars such as Sadio Mane, Ismaïla Sarr and Boulaye Dia.

The result is the biggest surprise in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa so far, and has sparked hopes among Sudanese fans for a historic feat. If they maintain their form and lead, they will make their first appearance at the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.