Sudan’s AFCON 2025 campaign has been plunged into uncertainty after players of the national team, the Jediane Falcons, threatened to boycott the tournament unless their long-standing financial entitlements are fully settled before their opening match.
The players are reportedly frustrated over unpaid bonuses and allowances dating back to previous international assignments, with patience now wearing thin ahead of the continental showpiece in Morocco.
Sources close to the camp indicate that the situation had already reached a boiling point during preparations for the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, where the squad was close to refusing to participate altogether.
On that occasion, the crisis was only averted after a senior Sudanese Football Association (SFA) official personally intervened, pleading with the players and assuring them that all outstanding bonuses and related payments would be resolved before their arrival in Morocco for AFCON 2025.
However, with the tournament now underway, those promises are yet to be fully honoured, prompting renewed threats of industrial action from the players.
Sudan are scheduled to face Algeria in their Group D opener on Wednesday at the Stade Prince Moulay Hassan in Rabat, but the cloud of uncertainty hangs heavily over the Falcons’ camp.
While the players remain committed to representing their country, they insist they can no longer continue under what they describe as repeated breaches of trust by the football authorities.
The standoff places the SFA under intense pressure, with time rapidly running out to prevent a potentially embarrassing boycott on the AFCON stage.
Beyond the immediate fixture against Algeria, the situation also risks destabilising Sudan’s entire tournament campaign if swift action is not taken.
As AFCON 2025 gathers momentum in Morocco, Sudan’s focus should be on football matters.
Instead, unresolved administrative and financial issues threaten to overshadow their participation unless urgent solutions are found.
