Sudan Holds Senegal to a Draw and Tops Group in Exciting World Cup Qualifier

In a thrilling encounter, Sudan’s national team secured a goalless draw against Senegal on Saturday in the fifth round of Group B matches in the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.Both teams had several scoring opportunities throughout the match, with Sudan coming close in the 20th minute when Abubakar Issa found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but narrowly missed the target. The match, hosted in Benghazi, Libya, saw another golden chance for Sudan in the 76th minute when Walieldin Khedr received the ball just a few meters from goal but shockingly sent his shot wide of Édouard Mendy’s left post.Senegal almost clinched a late winner in the 80th minute when Sadio Mané delivered a precise cross from the right, met by a powerful header from Cherif Ndiaye. However, Sudanese goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa made a stunning save, and the rebound from Abdallah Sima went just wide.With this result, Sudan remains at the top of the group standings with 11 points as the first phase of qualifiers concludes. DR Congo sits in second place with 10 points, while Senegal is third with 9 points.In the next round, Sudan will face South Sudan, while Senegal is set to host Togo on Tuesday.