The Sudan Football Association has launched the selection process for both the U-17 women’s national team and the senior women’s national team, as part of broader efforts to develop women’s football in the country, according to Sudan News Agency (SUNA).
The Women’s Football Committee has tasked head coach Captain Burhan Teh with travelling to Cairo to observe the activity of women’s teams and academies and conduct trials to help form both squads. The committee also called on Sudanese coaches and technical staff based in Cairo to cooperate with him to ensure the success of the mission.
لجنة كرة القدم للسيدات تشرع في إختيار منتخب تحت 17 سنة ومنتخب أول https://t.co/P2S9xGNzFO#سونا #السودان pic.twitter.com/c8MdUNOoD8
— SUDAN News Agency (SUNA) 🇸🇩 (@SUNA_AGENCY) March 23, 2026
Trials will not be limited to Cairo, with additional selection rounds set to take place in Port Sudan, Khartoum, Al Obeid, and Kadugli. These efforts aim to identify talent across the country and build competitive teams across multiple age groups.
According to Sudan News Agency, the committee plans for the newly formed teams to participate in upcoming competitions, most notably the East and Central African Championship (CECAFA) scheduled for May 2026.
Manal Ali Bushra Al-Mansour, Board Member and Head of the Women’s Football Committee, said the initiative marks the official launch of a wider talent identification programme. She noted that trials in Cairo and across Sudan will be conducted under the supervision of Captain Burhan Teh, with the goal of reaching as many talented players as possible to form the foundation of future national teams. She added that the committee also plans to organise domestic competitions to support this pathway and prepare teams for international participation.
The Sudan women’s national football team, established in 2021, represents a relatively new chapter in the country’s sporting landscape. Women were not officially permitted to participate in organised sports such as football until the Sudanese Revolution led to the abolition of restrictive public order laws. Shortly after, in September 2019, a national women’s league featuring 21 teams from across Sudan was formed.
Initially lacking recognition from FIFA, the team gained official recognition from the Confederation of African Footballin August 2021 and went on to participate in the Arab Women’s Cup, organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations in Cairo.
The early journey of women’s football in Sudan was documented in the award-winning 2019 film Khartoum Offside by Sudanese filmmaker Marwa Zein, which followed the struggles and determination of female players during a period of significant social and political restrictions.
