Sudan lifts 2007 CECAFA's Championship
Dec. 22, 07 (Khartoum NSV) - "The boys have done it again!" exclaimed a Merriekh's diehard on hearing Sudan's Olympic junior team won again this year. Football is another religion in Sudan despite its violent political history. Red and blue are the colors dominating football in the country. Over ten days ago when Sudan was ending its sport season with Merriekh and Hilal shining their boots for 2007 Sudan's Football Championship, the Olympic junior team was on its way to participate in the Confederation of East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) which ended today in Tanzania on Sudan's side. Hilal went on to become 2007 Sudan's Football Champion, defeating Meriekh 2-1 in the final. Many Sudanese were skeptical why those traveling to play for CECAFA were minors representing national team.
Sudan's national couch was beginning to receive some blames of foreseen failures. Many will tonight exhaust his ears for congratulatory messages. Thank God the country is still feasting, eating goats and rams at home!
Sudan's Olympic team progressed gradually with confidence until today defeating Rwanda 4-2 in penalty shootout.
Abdel Hamid Hamari goal came in the 24th minute while Mudesir Ateyib's in the first minutes of the second half. The Rwandans equalized in the 5th minute of the second half. By the time the final whistle went off, the two sides had remained speechless waiting for extra time. As winners and losers must be in a tournament, penalties followed suit Abdel Rahman Ibrahim, Nasirdin, Jabir; Akram Salim's boot that granted Sudan its claim of CECAFA 2007 crown, a second in a row.
Tomorrow the senior team will travel to UAE for two weeks then to Spain where they will have camp training in preparation for next month's African Cup of Nations' tournaments in Ghana. Al Ain Club in the UAE is organizing the training camp there.
Sudan is one of the three countries that initiated the African Cup of Nations in the 60s. Football later failed with economy of the country going downward. When oil boom came in, things changed greatly with Sudan defeating Ahly last year for the first time.
In Ghana, Sudan is in group 7 with Egypt, Cameroon and Zambia, the toughest, record breaking champions in the African continent. Sudan could be in a good shape after completing beautiful sport season with Merriekh's Fasial Ajab recognized in the football fraternity in Africa and the world.
It is only for the last three years that Sudan is gaining its past glories in football pitch. There are now Nigerians, Brazilians and others playing in the two rivaling teams of Hilal and Merriekh. President Omer Beshir recently poured in millions of Pounds for the national team representing the country in Ghana. Sudani Telecommunication Company has in recent months manufactured millions of Mobil phone sets with red colour for Merriekh and blue one for Hilal.
Many South Sudanese have mixed feelings about Sudan's football. Like other areas that need reform in the country, football is also dominated by northerners, those seen to be on the other side of the isle - none SPLM supporters.
