Women's football kicks off in Sudan

The Sudan women's football team takes to the pitch in Khartoum for an international match. Until a few years ago, this event would have been inconceivable due to a ban on the sport. Under the rule of dictator Omar al-Bashir, finally toppled from power in 2019, women had been banned from playing.

Regime change saw the first Sudan women's football team formed within a month, but the team's suffered several blows. The October 2021 military coup meant cancelled training, and a key match against Algeria had to be abandoned. It's a constant battle, says team coach Salma al-Majidi.

Salma al-Majidi: "The security situation has greatly affected us. A match against Algeria was cancelled due to the security situation. Even during this last period we couldn't properly prepare – and the women's Sudan Football Association is new. We had one or two days, practice days, cancelled due to the protests and the insecurity."

Players feared the response of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who took control after the coup. However, their concerns that women's football would once again face a red card have so far been unfounded. Burhan's given assurances that the military won't run in next year's elections, which offers further hope for the women's game.

Sudan's young team have yet to taste victory and were taken to the cleaners by South Sudan, who thrashed them 6-nil. Nevertheless, South Sudan player Amy Lasu says they had to work for the win.

Amy Lasu: "We came prepared, we were fully prepared. I mean, it's been hard work. For the time we've been training, we've tried so hard to, to do what the coach wants us to do. It, It's a great feeling for us. It's a moment to be proud of because it's the first time we're playing Sudan." View Less