The head coach of Sudan’s national team, Hubert Velud has said his team will be a strong force during the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2021 (AFCON).
Velud said that despite performing poorly at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, his team will be better prepared for the AFCON.
“I trust my team will perform better during the AFCON in Cameroon. We are going to prepare well and also welcome back some players who have been out injured,” said Velud on Tuesday after his team exited the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.
The AFCON 2021 to feature 24 teams will take place from January 9th to February 6th, 2022. Sudan is placed in Group D alongside Nigeria, Egypt and Guinea Bissau.
Velud explained that lack of good preparations played a big role in his team not performing well at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021. Sudan lost the opening match 4-0 to Algeria, before they were humbled 5-0 by Egypt. They suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lebanon in the last Group D match played on Tuesday.
The coach made it clear that the matches played at the FIFA Arab Cup have also helped them know their weaknesses and areas that need to be improved ahead of the AFCON tournament.
He made it clear that there are also plans to have some players featuring in Leagues outside Sudan to be given a chance to compete for places on the AFCON squad.
“We also need to have some build-up matches before we head to Cameroon for the AFCON,” added Velud.
Sudan and Ethiopia will be the only two teams from the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region to feature at the AFCON 2021.
The other teams that will play in the AFCON 2021 include; Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi, Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Andrew Jackson ORYADA Snr
