Sudan’s youth national team booked their place in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals after beating Uganda 3-2 in the semi-finals of the East and Central Africa Championship (CECAFA) in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
The Falcons of Jediane recovered from an early setback to overcome Uganda at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and secure qualification for the African Youth Championship finals, which will be hosted in Ghana in 2027.
The tournament also serves as the qualifying route to the Youth World Cup later that year, giving Sudan another reason to celebrate after a hard-fought victory over the Cranes.
Sudan had to come from behind after Uganda took an early lead in the first half. However, the Sudanese side responded strongly and eventually turned the match in their favour through an impressive display from their players.
Radwan Yahya scored Sudan’s equaliser before Al-Hilal forward Mazen Fadl took centre stage by scoring twice to complete the comeback and give his side a 3-2 victory.
The performance of the Sudanese players reflected the experience they have gained from playing for some of the country’s leading clubs, particularly Al-Hilal and Al-Merreikh.
Fadl’s two goals proved decisive as Sudan secured their place in the continental finals while also keeping their hopes of winning the regional competition alive.
The result also provided a measure of redemption for Sudan after they had previously lost to Uganda during the group stage of the CECAFA tournament.
Sudan’s route to the semi-finals had already been difficult, with the team progressing as one of the best runners-up after facing a challenging group-stage campaign.
Their victory over Uganda has now transformed that difficult start into a successful run, with the team reaching the CECAFA final and confirming their participation in the African finals.
The players, led by captain Munther Tabou, will now turn their attention to the regional final as they attempt to complete their campaign with another victory.
Qualification for the African finals represents a significant achievement for the young Sudanese players, who have had to contend with difficult circumstances at home and disruption to sporting activities.
Despite those challenges, the team continued its campaign and secured a result that has given its supporters fresh encouragement.
The victory over Uganda therefore delivered a double reward for Sudan. The team secured a place in the CECAFA final and, at the same time, guaranteed its participation in the 2027 African Youth Championship finals in Ghana.
The Sudanese players will now have an opportunity to compete for the regional title, having already achieved their main qualification objective with their comeback victory in Dar es Salaam.
