Combination of two images retrieved from Al Hilal SC official social media handles. All images taken from Al Hilal SC official social media handles.
Johannesburg: Al Hilal became champions in two countries when they thumped Al Merrikh 4-0 on Tuesday to win the Elite League in Sudan, where a civil war has been raging since 2023.
To escape a war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, according to the United Nations, Hilal and Merrikh competed in the Mauritanian championship, finishing first and sixth.
However, Confederation of African Football rules state that only national champions can enter the CAF Champions League, forcing the two clubs to return home and play in army-controlled northeast venues.
The national army have recaptured the capital, Khartoum, after two years of occupation by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, but fighting rages in other parts of the east African nation.
