Sudan is one of the surprise teams of the 2024 CHAN. They defeated Nigeria 4-0 on Tuesday, 12 August 2025, in Zanzibar on the second day of the tournament. The victory propels the Jediane Falcons to the top of Group D and definitively eliminates the Super Eagles from the competition.
The Sudanese Nile Crocodiles, who defeated Nigeria’s Super Eagles, are among the teams likely to cause an upset at the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN). In their third appearance in this competition, the players are not holding back on offensive strategies and well-calibrated tactics. The team, led by Kwesi Appiah, former international player and coach of Ghana’s Black Stars between 2012 and 2014, includes realistic strikers such as Mohamed Abdel Rahman, Sudan’s third-highest scorer in history with 23 goals in 55 matches, and Moussa Hussein Moussa, the rising star of the group.
« I think every coach works on the best way to use their best players to score goals on the pitch. So, that’s something we’re working on. It’s not easy, but you know, when it’s a club, it’s simpler because in a club, you’re always with the team and there are so many things you can do, but with the national team, you only see the players a few times a week or so. So it’s more complex to know exactly where to place them. »
Kwesi Appiah, Coach of the Nile Crocodiles – Ghana
The CHAN 2025 marks Sudan’s third appearance at this continental tournament, after 2011 as hosts. The Jediane Falcons came second in that competition. The second participation dates back to 2022 in Algeria. For the current edition, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the Sudanese team of local players came out on top against Nigeria by 4 goals to 0, in the match of the 2nd day of Group D of the CHAN, on 12 August 2025 in Zanzibar. The Sudanese goals were scored by Leonard Ngenge in the 25th minute, Walieldin Khidir in the 44th minute and Abdelrazik Omer, who scored twice in the 55th and 62nd minutes. The final matchday pits Sudan against defending champions Senegal in a decisive duel for direct qualification for the quarter-finals.
‘Senegal, as I said earlier, is the defending champion and no one can underestimate them. So, it won’t be a walk in the park. We’ll really have to make sure we play our best until the end of the match.’
Kwesi Appiah, Coach of the Nile Crocodiles – Ghana
Sudan has temporarily taken the lead in Group D, ahead of Senegal thanks to a goal difference of +3. Congo is in third place with 2 points, while Nigeria is at the bottom with one point. As the group stage draws to a close, Sudan only needs a draw against Senegal to secure its place in the second round.
