In the past week, Sudanese around the world have been celebrating a series of wins and successes, from politics to film to sports achievements.
The most celebrated achievement was Sudan qualifying for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ after defeating Lebanon 2–1 on 27 November 2025 in Doha, Qatar. For Sudanese around the world, especially those in Qatar who watched the game live, the victory and celebrations were felt across the city, bringing some to tears. It was a win they had long awaited, and amid the ongoing suffering in Sudan due to war, it was a triumph the people desperately needed. Although Sudan has qualified for the Arab Cup before, this moment felt more meaningful than ever because of the ongoing war and its impact on the millions of displaced Sudanese people around the world. Even if the Sudanese team loses their first game in the tournament against Algeria, the memory of qualifying for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ will remain a joyful milestone.
The Sudanese people are, and have long been, yearning for a victory that represents the entire nation. The Sudan national football team’s win was a triumph for the entire country, as is often the case with national teams, but other successes across the diaspora also brought pride and joy to Sudanese communities worldwide. On 27 November 2025, the Sudanese diaspora in Qatar found themselves torn between watching Sudan play against Lebanon and attending the MENA debut of a highly acclaimed Sudanese film. Just before Sudan secured their 2–1 victory, Cotton Queen, directed by Sudanese-Russian filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani, received a standing ovation at the Doha Film Festival (DFF) 2025, and later won the Audience Award. A few days earlier, the acclaimed documentary Khartoum, by Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, Rawia Alhag, Anas Saeed, and Philip Cox, also earned a standing ovation at DFF 2025. Both films, years in the making, were disrupted by the ongoing war, leaving the filmmakers displaced. Yet, they still made it to DFF, standing not only as stories of Sudan but as powerful testaments to determination and resilience.
November has been filled with achievements representing Sudan, including individual milestones such as Sudanese-American singer Alsarah gracing the cover of The Rolling Stone MENA November issue, and Sudanese-Australian councillor making history as the first Australian mayor of Sub-Saharan African descent. Since the war in Sudan, especially after global attention shifted to Al Fasher, many regional and international magazines have increased their coverage of Sudan, focusing largely on its music and art. Publications such as Rolling Stone MENA, Dazed, OkayAfrica, and others have spotlighted Sudanese creativity more than ever before.
Despite the ongoing war in Sudan, the country, especially its people, has recently been winning, excelling, and succeeding across various fields, offering a much-needed boost to the spirits of a nation that has endured profound losses for years.
For decades, Sudan has been defined by loss and conflict. Since 2018, the country has endured a revolution, a global pandemic (COVID-19), ongoing political and economic instability, a coup, and now a war that has displaced 12 to 14 million people and claimed over 150,000 lives. This and its history of civil conflicts has largely shaped the world’s perception of Sudan, a nation seen primarily through the lens of conflict. Rarely is Sudan recognised for its people’s individuality, brilliance, talent, and achievements. To counter this negative image, Sudanese social media users introduced the hashtag #SudaneseExcellence a few years ago to celebrate the successes of Sudanese individuals. Today, the hashtag is less visible simply because it’s being used less, not because achievements have decreased, but because they are now happening more frequently than ever, especially in music, filmmaking, the arts, and other creative fields.
It is our time to be in the spotlight — to win, succeed, excel, and triumph. As we do, we celebrate our country, identity, culture, and traditions. At the same time, we must continue to raise awareness about the ongoing war in Sudan and the enduring suffering of its people. We should also use this moment to shed light on other forgotten or ignores crises around the world that are often forgotten or ignored, such as those in South Sudan, the Congo, Yemen, Ethiopia, and many others in the region.
Ola Diab is the new founder and editor of 500 Words Magazine, and the deputy editor of Marhaba Information Guide, Qatar’s premier information guide. Based in Qatar, the Sudanese journalist graduated from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and has since built a successful career in the print and digital media industry in Qatar. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) @therealoladiab or on LinkedIn.
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Ola Diab is the new founder and editor of 500 Words Magazine, and the deputy editor of Marhaba Information Guide, Qatar’s premier information guide. Based in Qatar, the Sudanese journalist graduated from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and has since built a successful career in the print and digital media industry in Qatar. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) @therealoladiab or on LinkedIn.
