Fighting that erupted in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left much of the capital heavily damaged and largely deserted, even after government forces pushed their rivals out of the city.The opening fixture was held at Kober Stadium in Khartoum North, just across the Blue Nile to the northeast of the centre, while another was played at the same time in Omdurman, on the opposite side of the capital.At Kober Stadium, capital club Al Merrikh beat Ahli Madani 3–1 in front of several hundred supporters who braved intense heat of up to 42C and the scars of war around the ground."We haven't seen our team for three years," said Assim Hussein, an Al Merrikh supporter. "This is a historic moment for us," he told AFP, smiling as the players walked out.Outside the stadium, burnt-out cars lined nearby streets, while walls leading to the gates were pockmarked with bullet holes and shrapnel.Inside, the stands were dusty and partially unusable, with many fans standing throughout the match. The dugouts were little more than rows of plastic chairs, separated from fans by a wire barrier.Kober Stadium is not usually used for top-flight matches, as Khartoum's main venues remain unfit to host games after the conflict.'Just to see my team'That did little to dampen the mood. Fans waved club flags, beat drums and played wind instruments as chants echoed off the concrete.Among the crowd was Musab Abdel-Majid, who travelled about 190 kilometres (118 miles) from Wad Madani in Al-Jazirah state to support Ahli Madani.
Football back on war-battered pitches in Sudan capital
Football returned to Sudan's war-scarred capital on Friday as the domestic league staged its first matches since the conflict began at battered stadiums on the edges of a largely abandoned Khartoum.
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