Al-Hilal Omdurman clinch title in Mauritania's Super D1 but serious concerns lie ahead
- Andrew Olsson
- May 21
- 2 min read
Sudan's Al-Hilal Omdurman have conquered Mauritania's top tier Super D1. The 2024-25 CAF Champions League quarterfinalists were held to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday by ASC Ksar but the result was good enough to put Hilal beyond reach of closest contenders and defending champions FC Nouadhibou.
Hilal, who are competing in the Mauritanian top flight as a guest team along with local rivals Al Merriekh due to the war in Sudan, have put an end to a seven-year streak of championships for FC Nouadhibou. After losing to Merreikh in late February, Hilal went thirteen games unbeaten to confirm themselves as the new champions.
Despite the accomplishment, there are issues ahead for Hilal to deal with. Supporters were not happy with the team's style of play and it appears that legendary Congolese coach Florent Ibengé will leave the club after securing the Super D1 title. In addition, there are concerns about how Hilal will qualify for next season's CAF Champions League.
Additionally, the Hilal board must decide if the club will return to Sudan to take part in the upcoming Sudanese Super League final round. A shortened top flight season took place in Sudan during January and February with the top clubs qualifying to a championship stage. This stage will determine Sudan's representatives for next season's CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
It is planned for Hilal and Merreikh to be brought into the competition's final stage, beginning at the end of May, so that they have an opportunity to qualify for CAF club competition. But according to Khartoum-based news outlet Medameek, it appears that Ibengé will not stay on with the club and an even more dire consequence is that due to the ongoing situation in Sudan, Hilal's foreign players are refusing to return to the country to participate in the Super League.
Participating without the many foreign players who contribute to Hilal's regular success creates a difficult situation for the club's board, who apparently must decide between participating with local players and a local coach or withdrawing from the Super League. It is a critical decision with a short amount of time to prepare for the next competition, leaving plenty to be determined in the next ten days before the Super League begins.
