Sudan’s preparations for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mozambique have been disrupted by travel and coordination problems, with part of the squad stranded in Nairobi just 48 hours before Tuesday’s match.
The Sudanese delegation is due to face Mozambique in Maputo on 29 September 2026 in the second round of Group 10, but the team’s journey to the Mozambican capital has been complicated by difficulties with flight arrangements.
The first group of the delegation arrived in Maputo on Sunday, 27 September, while the second batch remained at Nairobi airport as the match approached.
The problems have been linked to a lack of coordination and delays in arranging the delegation’s travel, leaving the Sudanese players with limited time to prepare for an important away fixture.
The first group, which included members of the technical staff and some players, reached Maputo but had to wait for several hours before making it to their accommodation.
The second group is expected to arrive on Monday, 28 September, only a day before the match against Mozambique. Those players will have only a light training session and will do so without members of the technical staff.
That situation leaves Sudan with little opportunity to bring the entire squad together and prepare collectively before facing the hosts.
The “Falcons of Jediane” are also facing a difficult opponent. Mozambique made an early statement in the qualifiers by holding Senegal to a draw in Dakar in the opening round.
That result has placed Mozambique among the teams competing strongly for one of the two qualification places in the group and has increased the pressure on Sudan ahead of the meeting in Maputo.
Sudan had begun its qualifying campaign with a victory over Ethiopia, but the problems surrounding the team’s preparations have created another challenge for coach James Kwesi Appiah and his players.
The timing of the travel difficulties is particularly significant because the match against Mozambique is followed by two fixtures against Senegal in the third and fourth rounds of the qualifiers.
Those matches will add further importance to Sudan’s efforts to collect points in the group, with the team seeking to strengthen its position and maintain its hopes of reaching the Africa Cup of Nations finals for a second successive time.
For now, however, Sudan must focus on Mozambique, with the squad having to overcome the disruption caused by the delayed arrival of players and the limited preparation time before Tuesday’s match.
The difficulties have left the Sudanese delegation facing an important test both on and off the pitch as it prepares for the second round of the African qualifiers.
