Mohamed Eisa: “We are not scared of nobody”

“They are the favourites to win the whole competition  but we are not scared of nobody.”

Those were the words of Sudan forward Mohamed Eisa as Sudan wrapped up their final training session on Friday, 2 January, ahead of their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Round of 16 showdown with Senegal.

Respect for the former African champions is rightfully there, but fear has no place in Sudan’s camp according to the Sudanese forward.

Senegal arrive in Tangier unbeaten, group winners and widely tipped as title contenders.

Sudan, by contrast, advanced from Group E with just three points and are contesting their first-ever TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Round of 16 match, Yet Eisa believes that contrast works in Sudan’s favour –  freeing them from expectation and placing the weight of pressure squarely on their opponents.

“All the pressure is going to be on Senegal. They’re expected to go one-nil or two-nil up in the first 10 minutes, but we’re not going to try and let them do that. We’re going to have our own game plan and try and do something.”

It is an underdog narrative Sudan are embracing rather than resisting. Despite having scored just once in the tournament and conceding six goals — the highest of any team to reach the knockout stage — confidence within the squad has not wavered.

Midfielder Ammar Taifour echoed Eisa’s message, stressing that belief is essential if Sudan are to challenge one of Africa’s most elite and star-studded sides.

“We must have ambition. We must be confident in ourselves or else you will not achieve anything. Our country supports us, and for us, this is what we need in order to win against Senegal, Inshallah.”

History leans heavily in Senegal’s favour. The Lions of Teranga are unbeaten in seven previous meetings with Sudan, recording four wins and three draws, and have never lost to East African opposition at the AFCON finals. Yet two of those encounters ended level at the 2024 CHAN tournament, offering Sudan evidence that belief and strong will can narrow the gap.

“Our fans always support us, and this makes it easier for us. But we must work hard and concentrate because Senegal is a big opponent. We show them respect, but we also believe in ourselves” concluded Taifour.

Saturday’s meeting at the Grande Stade de Tangier will be the first between the two sides at the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17h00 Local Time (16h00 GMT).