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Sudan’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is “bringing hope” to the nation’s people amid its civil war, forward Abobaker Eisa says.<\/b><\/p>\n
The country has been in the grip of what the United Nations calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis since April 2023, when a power struggle between the army and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Force (RSF), led to conflict.<\/p>\n
More than 150,000 people have been killed and over 12 million forced to flee their homes, with widespread famine and reports of genocide in the western Darfur region.<\/p>\n
The conflict forced Sudan to play all their qualifying matches away from home, but they came through to book their Afcon spot for only the fourth time since 1976.<\/p>\n
The 1970 champions face Algeria (24 December), Equatorial Guinea (28 December), and Burkino Faso (31 December) in the group stage, and Eisa says every match is a “big deal” and a potential distraction for those in Sudan.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of bad things going on in Sudan. As players, we know how much of a big deal football can be to our nation,” Eisa told BBC World Service.<\/p>\n
“There’s not a lot of smiles at the minute, so we’re trying to use football as a way to get their minds off [the war].<\/p>\n
“Even qualifying for the Afcon and having fans there to cheer us on \u2013 the fact that we’re there is already bringing hope.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n