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Sudanese club Al Merreikh and Al Hilal surprised the rest of the continent by reaching the semi-finals of the champions League. But for the national team, the stories were too few for the supporters. As a founding member of the Confederation Africaine de Football, the Sudan has yet played an important role on the continent by the end of the 1950s in the early 1970s. Third in the first Africa Cup of Nations in 1957, and finalist in 1959 and 1963, he won the tournament at home in 1970 before returning to final in 1972 and 1976. The Sudan was one of the first African nations to take part in the qualifying campaign for the World Cup to the FIFA ™ in 1958. But he has never managed to go further. It is with this low balance that it addresses the second qualifying round of the CAF for Russia 2018 against Zambia, November 11. Veteran of the 2014 campaign at the end of which the Jediane hawks finished last in a group which included Zambia, Defender Ali Gafar believes in the team's chances. "If we are not as strong as we should be, it is particular because too few international move abroad", he believes. "We have a talented staff, but few players have the possibility to go elsewhere. Even when this is the case, they often have problems of adaptation because the language, climate or culture."The Al Merreikh player also considers that the national selection would compete more meetings. "If we did more friendlies, one would learn to better manage the parties. Today, it lacks sometimes experience", he complained.Positive signsSudanese football however is developing that could presage a rebound. Mohamed Abdallah men won a 1:0 win against Sierra Leone in a qualifying match for the 2017 CAN in June. Then, even if neither is able to validate his ticket to the finals, the presence two Sudanese clubs in the last four of the champions League gave hope to supporters.The two clubs are almost appropriated the Championship and the cup of the Sudan, leaving very little room for other teams. Thanks to the money of their owners, they managed to attract coaches of renown like Diego Garzitto and Otto Pfister, but also very good players. The Togolese Jean-Paul Abalo, Tunisians Haitham Mrabet and Abdelkarim Nafti, Zambian Elijah Tana and goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who won four times with the Egypt CAN, are all passed by the Sudan.According to melody, the domination of the two giants of Omdurman has both positive and negative effects. "Thanks to them, the Sudan became one of the strong nations of African football clubs. As proof, the country holds four seats in two African club competitions,"he details. "But the level of the Championship is average because there is always a gap between the top four teams and the following. It shows a lack of professionalism on all plans. Only a few clubs have the financial resources to be truly competitive at the highest level."Diego Garzitto, who led both clubs and currently directs Al Merreikh, has the impression that the situation improves at the continental level. "There is a clear increase of the Sudanese football, which is especially visible in the African tournaments", he assures. "Everybody knows the big two clubs, but there are others such as Ahly Shendi or Al-Khartoum. However, the Championship must find a balance, because it operates at double speed. You have powerful clubs, but there are also many too many formations that would simply fight for something other than their survival."As for the national team, it will try to take advantage of the situation for her fighting for its future in the race to qualification for Russia 2018.FIFA.COM
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