Aasai

Despite being forced to play their home matches in Benghazi, Libya, due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan, the team has amassed 11 points at the halfway mark of the 10-match campaign.

Trailing them closely, the Democratic Republic of Congo sits second with 10 points, while Senegal, seeking a third consecutive World Cup appearance, are third with nine. Togo follow with four points, while Mauritania and South Sudan are at the bottom with two each.

Only the winners of each of the nine African qualifying groups will secure automatic spots at the World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, a 10th African team could qualify if the winner of a mini-tournament among the four best runners-up performs well in intercontinental playoffs.

Senegal, despite dominating possession and launching 19 attempts on goal, managed just four shots on target. Sudan faced intense pressure, defending 11 corners, yet held firm to frustrate their high-profile opponents.

Sudan rarely ventured into Senegal’s half, but when they did, they were more precise, getting three of their seven attempts on target, with two coming close to breaking the deadlock.

In a heated second half, Sudan’s captain, Ramadan Agab, was among three players booked within three minutes, while Senegalese star Sadio Mané also received a yellow card.

At the final whistle, Sudan’s players celebrated their hard-earned point, having resisted a team featuring eight European-based stars and three from Saudi Arabia’s top division.

Football Amidst Conflict

Sudan’s squad featured seven players from local giants Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, alongside three Libya-based footballers and Abdelrahman Kuku, who plays in Australia’s second division.

With the civil war devastating their homeland, both Al Hilal and Al Merrikh have relocated to Mauritania, where they now compete in the local league. The conflict has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 12 million people.

Elsewhere in Group B.                                                         In another Group B clash, Togo and Mauritania played out a 2-2 draw in Lomé. The hosts took an early lead through Thibault Klidje in the fourth minute, but Mauritania hit back in the second half, equalizing through Aboubakary Koita in the 52nd minute before Abdallahi Mahmoud put them ahead. However, Togo’s Kevin Denkey salvaged a point with a 69th-minute equalizer.

Togo remain in fourth place, seven points behind Sudan, while Mauritania move up to fifth on goal difference, ahead of South Sudan.

Togo, once surprise qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they lost all three group matches, have struggled to reach the same heights since.

For Mauritania, this was the first competitive game under new Spanish coach Aritz Lopez Garai, who took over after Amir Abdou was dismissed last November following their failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Upcoming Matches

Matchday six continues on Sunday, with Kenya set to host Gabon in Nairobi, while Eswatini will face Mauritius in Mbombela, South Africa, as they do not have a FIFA-approved stadium.