FIFA Arab Cup: 10-man Sudan rally to stun Lebanon

Sudan joined Comoros as the African representatives to advance from the qualifying stage to the finals of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup after overcoming Lebanon 2-1 on Wednesday despite a first half red card.

It appeared that the East African side was in for a long night after John Mano picked up two yellow cards in five minutes to get sent off in the 22nd minute. The African team suffered further when Khalil Khamis took advantage of poor marking to score from a corner kick on the half hour mark.

But the Gulf nation failed to utilize their numerical advantage and Sudan showed their superior quality despite the circumstances. An own goal leveled the match before halftime, giving Sudan plenty of momentum and belief heading into the second half.

And it was difficult to tell that Lebanon was playing with one more player in the second half. A strong performance continued from the Sudanese and they were finally rewarded in the 74th minute.

A switch of play from the left wing to the right wing found Al Hilal Omdurman midfielder Salah Adel, who set up club teammate Yaser Awad for a finish from a difficult angle for the 20-year-old fullback’s first goal for the national team.

Lebanon made a furious push at the end of the match, but despite a large amount of time added on they were unable to make the final breakthrough. The full time whistle arrived to the delight of the Sudanese, who qualify for the Arab Cup finals for the fifth consecutive tournament with the result.

The Falcons will be in Group D at the final tournament that begins on December 1 in Qatar. They will compete alongside Algeria, Iraq and Bahrain.