By McGeorge Mbare
Kwesi Appiah, the Ghanaian coach who was fired by his home country, has successfully guided Sudan to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, which will be held in Morocco.
The former Black Stars coach took charge of the Sudan national team in September 2023 and worked tirelessly to build a competitive squad that has now achieved their key goal of qualifying for the prestigious continental tournament.
Coach Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan team’s final Group F match was against Angola, who had already secured their spot for AFCON 2025. Despite the ultimate challenge, Sudan only needed a point to secure their qualification, and they managed to achieve their goal with a goalless draw, which secured a crucial point and booked second place in the group.
Most importantly, the Falcons of Jediane, under Coach Appiah, won two matches, lost two, and drew two, earning 8 points, which secured their spot at AFCON 2025.
Meanwhile, Coach Appiah’s former side, Ghana,the four-time champions has missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 20 years. Additionally, they will extend their title drought to over 40 years, as their last victory was in the tournament was in 1982.
The Black Stars struggled to secure maximum points, displaying inconsistent performances in their AFCON 2025 qualifiers. They managed only three points from six matches, losing three times to Niger, Sudan, and Angola, while drawing three matches, which left them at the bottom of the group.