Sudan’s head coach, Kwesi Appiah, has revealed that his players are highly motivated to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, inspired by his personal experience leading Ghana in the 2014 tournament.
Appiah, who made history as the first Ghanaian to qualify the national team for the World Cup, guided Ghana to their third consecutive appearance in 2014 by winning a two-legged playoff against Egypt with a convincing 7-3 aggregate score.
Despite a challenging group stage in Brazil, where Ghana faced off against Germany, Portugal, and the USA, Appiah’s team managed to draw their opening match but ultimately finished last in their group.
Reflecting on his World Cup journey, Appiah shared how his experience resonates with his Sudanese players. “They ask me about the atmosphere during the competition and if it’s different from how it appears on television. I tell them that I firmly believe they’re capable of qualifying for the World Cup. That pushes them to fight in every game,” Appiah told FIFA.
Sudan currently leads the CAF Group B standings in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with 10 points from 4 matches, remaining undefeated with 3 wins and 1 draw. They are closely followed by Senegal, who have accumulated 8 points from 2 wins and 2 draws, as the race for World Cup qualification intensifies.
