Sudanese Clubs: Champions League Qualification and Confederation Cup Exit
13 September, 2026
Khartoum – (Sudanow)
Saturday, September 12, was a busy day of African club football for Sudanese teams, with Al Hilal and Al Merrikh competing in the CAF Champions League, while Al Ahli Madani and Hilal Al-Sahil featured in the CAF Confederation Cup. The matches were the second legs of the first preliminary round, amid considerable anticipation and tension generated by the results of most of the first-leg encounters.
The final outcome was qualification for Al Hilal and Al Merrikh in the continent’s premier and strongest club competition, the Champions League, while Al Ahli Madani and Hilal Al-Sahil were eliminated from the Confederation Cup.
At Amahoro Stadium in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, the result was largely expected. Al Hilal advanced to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League after defeating Burundi’s Aigle Noir 1–0 in the second leg. Al Hilal had won the first leg in Burundi 2–0.
The only goal of the match came in the 43rd minute of the first half. Ahmed Salem received a pass from Samora before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot that found the back of the net. Al Hilal dominated the first half, although the team lacked attacking efficiency. Aigle Noir struggled to match the Sudanese side’s control of the game, and the half ended with Al Hilal leading 1–0.
The Burundian side improved after the break and attempted to reach Al Hilal’s goal, but the experience of the Sudanese club’s goalkeeper and defenders prevented them from scoring. Al Hilal’s coach made several substitutions in an attempt to increase the team’s advantage, but no further goals came.
The match ended with Al Hilal securing victory and qualification. In the next round, the Sudanese champions will face the winner of the tie between Chad’s Elect-Sport and Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.
In Zambia’s Ndola, at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Al Merrikh also celebrated after defeating hosts Power Dynamos 1–0. The first leg, played in Rwanda, had ended with a 1–0 victory for Al Merrikh, giving the Sudanese side a 2–0 aggregate win.
Al Merrikh’s goal came in the second half through striker Fino Hasina. The team managed to protect its lead and secure an important victory, reassuring its large fan base as it awaits the second preliminary round, where it will face the winner of the tie between Guinea’s Horoya AC and Algeria’s JS Saoura.
Al Merrikh’s qualification came against the backdrop of the club’s early exits from the preliminary rounds in previous years, an issue that had become a source of concern for its supporters. With the first leg ending in only a one-goal victory, repeating the win in the second leg represented further confirmation that the Red Castle has returned in a different form this year.
In the Confederation Cup, however, Al Ahli Madani suffered a 1–0 defeat to Kenya’s Tusker at Nyayo Stadium. The first leg in Kigali had ended in a 2–2 draw. With the aggregate score going in Tusker’s favor, Al Ahli Madani were eliminated from the competition.
Hilal Al-Sahil also exited the Confederation Cup after losing 2–1 to Ethiopia’s Arba Minch? at Dire Dawa Stadium in eastern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian side’s victory matched the 2–1 result by which Hilal Al-Sahil had won the first leg in Kigali, sending the tie to a penalty shootout.
The Sudanese side endured a difficult match after defender Mohamed Ali was sent off while Hilal Al-Sahil were trailing 2–0. Despite playing with ten men, the team fought back and scored to make it 2–1. With the aggregate score level, the match went to a penalty shootout, which the Ethiopian side won, confirming Hilal Al-Sahil’s elimination.
The results of the four Sudanese clubs highlighted the superiority of the two traditional giants, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, who remain in contention in the CAF’s strongest club competition. At the same time, Sudan is now out of the Confederation Cup following the elimination of Al Ahli Madani and Hilal Al-Sahil.
Victory for both Al Hilal and Al Merrikh in the next round would put them on course for qualification for the group stage—the continent’s stage of high-profile competition, intense media attention and huge fan interest both inside and outside Africa.
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