Soccer-Sudan coach Appiah seeks to bring Africa Cup joy amid conflict

By Mohamed Yossry Dec 23 (Reuters) – Sudan's coach James Kwesi Appiah aims to turn the Africa Cup of Nations into a source of joy amid war for the Sudanese people, vowing that every player will give their all to achieve success in the continental tournament in Morocco. Sudan has been in the grip of conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with around 150,000 people killed and almost 14 million displaced, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world. Ghana-born coach Appiah, however, succeeded in steering the team to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations despite having to play all their qualifying matches away from home. "I’m happy that Sudan is part of such a big tournament," "We all know there’s a war in Sudan, and I believe this tournament will put some smiles on the faces of all Sudanese. "We are here to make sure we do our best to entertain everyone who comes to the stadium." The coach said that even as he carries out his tactical job, sometimes they learn that a team member has lost someone in their family due to the conflict. But they remain patient, he said, as they aim to make every Sudanese proud. "We all know there has been no league in Sudan for the past three years, but we make sure the team represents itself very well." Sudan’s biggest teams – Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, as well as Al Ahli Wad Madani – will participate in the Rwandan league next season. Sudan captain Bakhit Khamis said that while the situation at home was catastrophic, the side were happy to be in Morocco for the tournament. "The situation Sudan is going through is truly disastrous in every sense of the word. Thank God we managed to qualify," he said. (Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo, editing by Hugh Lawson)

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