Sudan on top of Group B table; can they sustain their performance and make it into the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
With the experience of the Ghanaian coach, Kwesi Appiah be enough to see an underdog side such as Sudan make it into the next FIFA World Cup? For a coach who was not deem fit to continue his responsibility as the head coach of the senior national team of Ghana in his second stint, one would have thought that, he would not have what it takes to get a side like Sudan to perform at such a high standard.
Taking a critical look at the Sudan team only makes any football fan across the world begin to appreciate the ethos and the noteworthiness of a coach or a manager in modern-day football.
Clearly, the corner stone of the Sudan national team has been turned around in their favor as they are currently embarking on journey which once upon a time seemed a dream. A glance at the Sudan team in competitive games depicts a side which is being coached properly by a head coach who has seen it all when it balls down to club and national team football.
Brief profile of Coach Kwesi Appiah?
Coach Kwesi Appiah is a Ghanaian ex-footballer who has etched his name in the legendary books of is motherland due to his amazing performance during his playing days for the national team as midfielder.
He transitioned into coaching after hanging his boot as a professional footballer; assumed the coaching job for one of the big clubs in African club football, Asante Kotoko in his early days of coaching were he won the Ghana Premier League.
The 64-year-old gaffer was made the assistant head coach to Coach Milovan Rajevac at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. There after, he was then made the substantive head coach of the senior national team of Ghana for the first time and succeeded in qualifying the team to the 2014 World Cup.
Kwesi Appiah was relieved of his job after the 2014 World Cup and was made the substantive head coach again prior to the 2017 African Cup of Nations. His experience has never been in doubt.
Can Coach Kwesi Appiah help Sudan qualify to the World Cup?
The game of football has always rewarded experience gaffers like Coach Kwesi Appiah. Prior to the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, Sudan were never given the dog-chance as most football pundits claimed they lacked the requisite experience and talents as a team to sail through as compared to the likes of Ghana and Angola who had much quality in terms of talents in their team.
However, Kwesi Appiah with his experience managed to shootout a side like Ghana hence, booking qualification ahead of Ghana for the tournament which has been scheduled to take place later this year In Morocco.
Now, after Sudan booked qualification into the 2025 AFCON, the head coach for Sudan in an interview indicated that, his next target is to lead his side to their first ever FIFA World Cup.
As things stand, Coach Kwesi Appiah is walking the talk as his side is presently the Group B table with eleven good points after five matches and are left with five more games to achieve their goal.
Behind the Sudan team is D.R. Congo who are on ten points and Senegal with nine points, making them he third placed side in Group B.
Can Sudan qualify?
Certainly, the Sudanese senior team are poised to make history for their fellow country as they need no inspiration taking into consideration, the civil wars happening in the country which has disrupted the peace and security of the country.
They are so fortunate as well to have the one of the finest African coaches who holds the record of being the first Ghanaian coach to qualify Ghana to the World Cup.
Clearly, as they are leading their group table, they can only defend their lead by keeping their superb form and strive hard to win and avert any form of defeat in their next set of qualifying games.
