Al-Merrikh
Encyclopedia
Al-Merreikh Sporting Club is a Sudanese football
club based in Omdurman
, Sudan
. Their home stadium is Al Merreikh Stadium. Which is also known as The Red Castle. Al-Merreikh is one of the most ancient and strongest football club in Africa. El-Merreikh have been crowned with the Sudanese Premier League title 17 times. Beside, El-Merreikh have an unbreakable record at least in the next 15 years with 20 titles of winning the cup .There are maybe 23 million supporters who support El-Merreikh in Sudan.
. They were the first club to have this name in Sudan and Arab world.
tournaments including African Champions League and/or African Confederation Cup
.
Works on the stadium first started under the club’s chairman Mr. Fahmy Suliman who appointed a young engineer Mr Abdelmonim Mustafa to structure a map to build a modern stadium. The engineer who is a known Merreikh supporter handed a piece of art inspired by Moscow stadium in Russia and he did the whole job for free.
The stadium was opened over 2 stages. The first stage was opened in 1962 before the construction work finished to host some governmental celebrations and that was by match between Almourada and Alhilal won by the former.
The second stage was completed 2 years later and the stadium was officially opened by the Sudanese Prime Minister Sirelkhatim Alkhalifa on Monday the 30th of November 1964 to be the first club with own stadium in Africa.
In 2003, Al-Merreikh chairman Mr. Gamal Alwali and his board decided to upgrade the stadium and increase its capacity to the current 42,000 seats with costs of more than 10 million dollars and when opened in 2009 the stadium became one of the best in the African continent and is now the home stadium of Sudan national team.
Upgrades are still taking place and an Olympic swimming pool is currently under construction next to the stadium with a view of building a full sports city.
(1 time Group Stage - 3 times Second Round - 2 times First Round)
(1 time as Finalist - 1 time Quarter-Finals - 1 time Intermediate Round - 1 time Preliminary Round)
(2 times withdrew - 5 times First Round - 4 times Second Round - 1 time Quarter-Finals)
(1 time Winner - 2 times Semi-Finals - 1 time Quarter-Finals - 3 times Second Round - 3 times First Round)
Ahmed Rifaat
Horest Branco Tucak Arnest Roder Senad Kreso Dušan
Ion Motroc
Mahmoud Saad
Otto Pfister
Michael Krüger
Rodion Gačanin
Mohammed Abdallah Mazda Jose Luis Carbone
Saad Attiya
Boucader Diallo
Lassana Fané
Boubacar Koné
Obinna Auko Effosa Eguakon
Endurance Idahor
Stephen Worgu
Alua Gaseruka
Jean Lomami Cheikh Diop James Joseph (footballer) Kamal Abdalwahab Majid Abu-Jinzeer Boraey Ahmed Al-Basheer Ibrahoma Al-Masoudia Hamid Braima Hassan Dahdooh Hammori Sami Izzaddin Ammar Khalid
Amir Damar Koku
Bushra Wahba Jean-Paul Abalo
Mehdi Ben Dhifallah
Haytham Mrabet Abdelkarim Nafti
Lawrence Segawa
Ali Al-Nono Zacharia Simukonda Elijah Tana
There is a historical rivalry between the two strongest clubs in Sudan, Al-Merreikh and Al-Hilal
. Both clubs are based in Omdurman, the old national capital of Sudan with Al-Hilal with the most wins in the Sudan Premier League of the two teams and Al-Merreikh won the most Sudan Cups out of the two teams.
The first match between Al-Merreikh and Al-Hilal was in 1934 when Al-Merrikh defeated Al-Hilal 2-0. The two goals scored in the match were scored by Al-Zain Haiba, the Al-Merreikh striker. The match is known historically as The Match of the Green Grass Market, since there were no stadiums at that time and the match was held in the famous square of Omdurman, the national capital of Sudan. During day time the square was used by green grass sellers and football matches were played in the afternoons. Today, the match is still very famous and it was the actual start of rivalry between the two very famous Sudanese football clubs
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club based in Omdurman
Omdurman
Omdurman is the second largest city in Sudan and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the River Nile, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Omdurman has a population of 2,395,159 and is the national centre of commerce...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Their home stadium is Al Merreikh Stadium. Which is also known as The Red Castle. Al-Merreikh is one of the most ancient and strongest football club in Africa. El-Merreikh have been crowned with the Sudanese Premier League title 17 times. Beside, El-Merreikh have an unbreakable record at least in the next 15 years with 20 titles of winning the cup .There are maybe 23 million supporters who support El-Merreikh in Sudan.
Name and meaning
Al-Merreikh is the Arabic word for planet MarsMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. They were the first club to have this name in Sudan and Arab world.
Leagues
Primarily, Al-Merreikh competes in the Sudanese Premier league, Sudan's top football league. Based on the club's end-of-season standing, it competes in the African CAFConfederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
tournaments including African Champions League and/or African Confederation Cup
CAF Confederation Cup
The CAF Confederation Cup is an international club association football competition run by the Confederation of African Football.-Qualification:...
.
Al-Merreikh Stadium
Al-Merreikh Stadium
Works on the stadium first started under the club’s chairman Mr. Fahmy Suliman who appointed a young engineer Mr Abdelmonim Mustafa to structure a map to build a modern stadium. The engineer who is a known Merreikh supporter handed a piece of art inspired by Moscow stadium in Russia and he did the whole job for free.
The stadium was opened over 2 stages. The first stage was opened in 1962 before the construction work finished to host some governmental celebrations and that was by match between Almourada and Alhilal won by the former.
The second stage was completed 2 years later and the stadium was officially opened by the Sudanese Prime Minister Sirelkhatim Alkhalifa on Monday the 30th of November 1964 to be the first club with own stadium in Africa.
In 2003, Al-Merreikh chairman Mr. Gamal Alwali and his board decided to upgrade the stadium and increase its capacity to the current 42,000 seats with costs of more than 10 million dollars and when opened in 2009 the stadium became one of the best in the African continent and is now the home stadium of Sudan national team.
Upgrades are still taking place and an Olympic swimming pool is currently under construction next to the stadium with a view of building a full sports city.
Al-Merreikh daily sports newspaper
Al-Merreikh FC daily newspaper was first published in 1965 in Khartoum. As of today, it is the oldest sport newspaper in Sudan.Achievements
-
- Al-Merreikh was the winner of the first official cup in Sudan (1934)
- Sudan Premier LeagueSudan Premier LeagueSudan Premier League is the top division of the Sudan Football Association, it was created in 1962.-Sudan Premier League Clubs - 2011:* Al-Ahli * Al-Ahli * Al-Hilal * Al-Hilal...
: 18
- Sudan Premier League
- 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2011
- Al-Merreikh was the winner of the first official cup in Sudan (1934)
- Sudan CupSudan CupThe Sudan Cup is the top knockout tournament of the Sudanese football. It was created in 1962.-Winners:*1962 : Al Merreikh Omdurmanunknown winner between 1963 and 1969*1970 : Al Merreikh Omdurman*1971 : Al Merreikh Omdurman...
: 20
-
- 1963, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
- Khartoum LeagueKhartoum LeagueKhartoum League is a famous historical championship in Sudan. The teams playing in it are those from the three cities of the capital Khartoum; Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman....
: 17
-
- 1953-54, 1955-56, 1961-62, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97
- CECAFA Clubs Cup: 2
-
- 1986, 1994
- African Cup Winners' CupAfrican Cup Winners' CupThe African Cup Winners' Cup was a football competition that started in 1975 and merged with the CAF Cup in 2004 to form the CAF Confederations Cup...
: 1
-
- 1989
- CAF Confederation CupCAF Confederation CupThe CAF Confederation Cup is an international club association football competition run by the Confederation of African Football.-Qualification:...
: 0
-
- 2007 - Runner-up
- 2008 - Group-stage
Performance in CAF competitions
Participated 30 times in all CAF championships- CAF Champions LeagueCAF Champions LeagueThe CAF Champions League is an annual international club football competition run by the Confederation of African Football . The top club sides from Africa's football leagues are invited to participate in this competition, which is the premier club football competition on the continent and the...
: 6 appearances
(1 time Group Stage - 3 times Second Round - 2 times First Round)
-
- 2001 - Second Round
- 2002CAF Champions League 2002-External links:*...
- Second Round - 2003 - First Round
- 2009CAF Champions League 2009The 2009 CAF Champions League is the 45th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football , and the 13th edition under the current CAF Champions League format...
- Group Stage - 2010 - Second Round
- 20112011 CAF Champions LeagueThe 2011 CAF Champions League was the 47th edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football , and the 15th edition under the current CAF Champions League format...
- First Round
- CAF Confederation CupCAF Confederation CupThe CAF Confederation Cup is an international club association football competition run by the Confederation of African Football.-Qualification:...
: 6 appearances
(1 time as Finalist - 1 time Quarter-Finals - 1 time Intermediate Round - 1 time Preliminary Round)
-
- 2004 - Preliminary Round
- 2005CAF Confederation Cup 2005The CAF Confederation Cup 2005 started with the preliminary round that was played in January and February 2005. FAR Rabat of Morocco beat Dolphins F.C. of Nigeria in the final.-Preliminary round:1st legs played 30 January 2005....
- Quarter-Finals - 2006CAF Confederation Cup 2006The CAF Confederation Cup 2006 started with the preliminary round that was played in February and March 2006. Étoile Sahel of Tunisia beat FAR Rabat of Morocco in the final...
- Intermediate Round - 2007CAF Confederation Cup 2007The CAF Confederation Cup 2007 is scheduled to begin with the preliminary round in late January and mid-February with the second round in March and the third round in April.-Preliminary round:1st legs played 26–28 January 2007....
- Final - 2008 - Group Stage
- 2010 - Second Round of 16
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 12 appearances
(2 times withdrew - 5 times First Round - 4 times Second Round - 1 time Quarter-Finals)
-
- 1971African Cup of Champions Clubs 1971The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1971 was the 7th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- Second Round - 1972African Cup of Champions Clubs 1972The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1972 was the 8th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- withdrew in First Round - 1973African Cup of Champions Clubs 1973The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1973 was the 9th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- Second Round - 1975African Cup of Champions Clubs 1975The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1975 was the 11th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- Quarter-Finals - 1976African Cup of Champions Clubs 1976The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1976 was the 12th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- Second Round - 1978African Cup of Champions Clubs 1978The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1978 was the 14th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- Second Round - 1979African Cup of Champions Clubs 1979The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1979 was the 15th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- withdrew in First Round - 1983African Cup of Champions Clubs 1983The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1983 was the 19th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- First Round - 1986African Cup of Champions Clubs 1986The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1986 was the 22nd edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- First Round - 1991African Cup of Champions Clubs 1991The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1991 was the 26th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- First Round - 1994African Cup of Champions Clubs 1994The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1994 was the 29th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CAF region , the African Cup of Champions Clubs...
- First Round - 1998 - First Round
- 1971
- African Cup Winners' CupAfrican Cup Winners' CupThe African Cup Winners' Cup was a football competition that started in 1975 and merged with the CAF Cup in 2004 to form the CAF Confederations Cup...
: 10 appearances
(1 time Winner - 2 times Semi-Finals - 1 time Quarter-Finals - 3 times Second Round - 3 times First Round)
-
- 1984African Cup Winners' Cup 1984The 1984 season of the African Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Al Ahly in two-legged final victory against Canon Yaoundé. This was the tenth season that the tournament took place for the winners of each African country's domestic cup...
- Second Round - 1985African Cup Winners' Cup 1985The 1984 season of the African Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Al Ahly in two-legged final victory against Leventis United. This was the eleventh season that the tournament took place for the winners of each African country's domestic cup...
- First Round - 1989 - Cup Winner
- 1990 - Semi-Finals
- 1992 - Semi-Finals
- 1993 - Quarter-Finals
- 1995 - Second Round
- 1997 - First Round
- 1999 - First Round
- 2000 - Second Round
- 1984
Current squad (2010-2011)
Club previous managers
Mansour Ramadan John Manang MarcoMarco
Marco may refer to:* Georg Marco , Romanian chess player of German origin* Marco , people with the given name "Marco"* 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, an anime series, in some countries referred to as Marco...
Ahmed Rifaat
Ahmed Rifaat
Ahmed Refaat is an Egyptian football coach and former player, previously the head coach of Zamalek SC.-References:...
Horest Branco Tucak Arnest Roder Senad Kreso Dušan
Dušan
Dušan is a Slavic name predominantly used by Serbs, Montenegrins, Czechs, Slovaks and Slovenes. Its meaning is soul, spirit. Ethymologically it derives from the name 'spirit', first used by Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia in the 14th century...
Ion Motroc
Ion Motroc
Ion Motroc is a former Romanian international football defender who played for clubs in Romania and Turkey.-Career:Born in Bucharest, Motroc started playing football for FC Dinamo București...
Mahmoud Saad
Mahmoud Saad
Mahmoud Saad محمود سعد is an Egyptian football player. Currently, he is the assistant coach of Zamalek. He was previously the manager of Zamalek, and of the Egyptian National Olympic Team in the 1992 Summer Olympics.- Titles as a Manager for Zamalek :...
Otto Pfister
Otto Pfister
Otto Pfister is a German football manager, and one of Germany's most successful coaching exports, voted Africa's Manager of the Year in 1992. He has been to four African Cup of Nations competitions with Upper Volta , Zaire, Cameroon and Ghana) and reached the African Cup of Nations final twice,...
Michael Krüger
Michael Krüger
Michael Krüger is a German football coach and former football player.- Coaching career :Krüger began his coaching career as assistant-coach from Peter Neururer with FC Schalke 04, in September 1989 was named as the new head coach of the 2 Football League club Hannover 96, after one year was...
Rodion Gačanin
Rodion Gacanin
Rodion Hamid Gačanin is a Croatian football coach who is current Head Coach of the Kuwaiti football club Al Qadsia.-Career: Bahrain Riffa Club Al Kuwait Kaifan Kuwait national football team Al-Nasr Al-Merreikh Nasr Al Qadsia - References :...
Mohammed Abdallah Mazda Jose Luis Carbone
Notable former players
Paulo Roberto Machado Alaa Abdul-ZahraAlaa Abdul-Zahra
Alaa Abdul-Zahrah Khashen Al-Azzawi is an Iraqi football player who currently plays for Al-Wakrah in Qatar and the Iraq national football team. His nickname is Kaka of Iraq or Iraqi Kaka. During his profissonal career in Qatar and Sudan he was known as Alaa Al-Zahra...
Saad Attiya
Saad Attiya
Saad Attiya Hafidh is an Iraqi football defender playing for the Arbil FC football club in Iraq.-Information:...
Boucader Diallo
Boucader Diallo
Boucader Diallo is a Malian football player.-Career:Diallo began his career with Stade Malien. In December 2008, he signed a 4 year transfer contract with Sudanese side Al-Merreikh.-International career:...
Lassana Fané
Lassana Fané
Lassana Fané is a Malian football player who is currently playing for Kuwaiti Premier League side Al Kuwait.-Career:...
Boubacar Koné
Boubacar Koné
Boubacar Koné is a Malian football player, currently playing for Maghreb Fez in Morocco.- International :He was part of the Mali U-20 team who finish third in group stage of 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, and was part of the Malian 2004 Olympic football team, who exited in the quarter finals,...
Obinna Auko Effosa Eguakon
Effosa Eguakon
Efosa Egwakun is a Nigerian football player, who plays for Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 club CS Constantine.-Career:...
Endurance Idahor
Endurance Idahor
Endurance Idahor was a Nigerian football player who played for Sudanese club Al-Merreikh. On 6 March 2010, Idahor collapsed during a league game and later died on his way to the hospital.-Career:...
Stephen Worgu
Stephen Worgu
Stephen Worgu is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Alahly Benghazi S.C.on loan to Al-Merrikh, from 15 September 2010 to 15 June 2011, for 200,000 dollars to Al-Merrikh and 300,000 dollars to Worgu....
Alua Gaseruka
Jean Lomami Cheikh Diop James Joseph (footballer) Kamal Abdalwahab Majid Abu-Jinzeer Boraey Ahmed Al-Basheer Ibrahoma Al-Masoudia Hamid Braima Hassan Dahdooh Hammori Sami Izzaddin Ammar Khalid
Amir Damar Koku
Amir Damar Koku
Amir Damer Koku .-International career:He also plays for the Sudan National Team as No.21 and called for the current squad of Sudan for the African Cup of Nations and World cup qualifications 2010.-References:...
Bushra Wahba Jean-Paul Abalo
Jean-Paul Abalo
Jean-Paul Yaovi Dosseh Abalo is a former Togolese football defender, who last plays for Al-Merrikh in Sudan.-International career:He was the captain of the Togo national football team, and was called up to the 2006 World Cup...
Mehdi Ben Dhifallah
Mehdi Ben Dhifallah
Mehdi Ben Dhifallah is a Tunisian footballer. He currently plays as a striker for Al-Merreikh.-Career:Ben Dhifallah scored his first league goal for Étoile du Sahel against Jendouba Sport during the 2nd round of the 2007-08 season...
Haytham Mrabet Abdelkarim Nafti
Abdelkarim Nafti
Abdelkarim Nafti is a Tunisian football player. He joined African giants Al-Merrikh in 2009.He plays as a striker or a winger or even sometimes he plays as an attacking mdfielder for El-Merreikh...
Lawrence Segawa
Lawrence Segawa
Lawrence Segawa is an Ugandan international footballer currently playing for Police FC Jinja.-Career:He has played for Police FC before moving abroad. In 2006, he moved to Sudan where he signed with the country's giants Al-Merreikh...
Ali Al-Nono Zacharia Simukonda Elijah Tana
Elijah Tana
Elijah Tana is a former Zambian footballer.-International career:The defender represented the Zambian national team at the African Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2006...
Presidential history
Al-Merreikh have had numerous presidents over the course of history, none of them was owner of the club, although the land on which the current stadium was owned by Abdularahman Shakhour, some of the presidents have been honorary players. Currently Gamal Alwali is the chairman. Here is a complete list of Al-Merrikh club presidents from 1927 until the present day.- Khaled Abdullah
- Sulaiman Atabani
- Mohammed Khair Ali
- Mohammed Ali Bakhiet
- Yousif Omer Agha
- Mohammed Bashier Fourawy
- Mohammed Sherrief Ahmed
- Ishag Shadad
- Dr. Mohammed Saeed Bayiomy
- Bashier Hassan Bashier
- Ibrahim Mohammed Ahmed
- Fahmy Sulaiman
- Yousif Abusamra
- Abdulrahim Osman Saleh
- Dr. Mohammed Alfatih
- Badawy Mohammed Osman
- Awad Abuzeid
- Abdulrahman Shakhour
- Mahadi Alfaki
- Hassan Abu-ala'ila
- Fouad Altoum
- Abdulaziz Shiddou
- Khalid Hassan Abbas
- Abdulhamid Haggoug
- Mahil Abu Ginna
- Dr. Tag Alsir Mahgoub
- Mohammed Eliyas mahgoub
- Gamal Alwali
Club history
Al-Merreikh was founded as Sport Club of Al-Masalma in late 1908 by pupils from Al-Masalam district in Omdurman and was then renamed as Al-Merreikh Football Club in 1927. The club was the winner of the first Sudanese football championship in 1934, Al-Merreikh wears their original red and yellow kit although the original one had some black.There is a historical rivalry between the two strongest clubs in Sudan, Al-Merreikh and Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
. Both clubs are based in Omdurman, the old national capital of Sudan with Al-Hilal with the most wins in the Sudan Premier League of the two teams and Al-Merreikh won the most Sudan Cups out of the two teams.
The first match between Al-Merreikh and Al-Hilal was in 1934 when Al-Merrikh defeated Al-Hilal 2-0. The two goals scored in the match were scored by Al-Zain Haiba, the Al-Merreikh striker. The match is known historically as The Match of the Green Grass Market, since there were no stadiums at that time and the match was held in the famous square of Omdurman, the national capital of Sudan. During day time the square was used by green grass sellers and football matches were played in the afternoons. Today, the match is still very famous and it was the actual start of rivalry between the two very famous Sudanese football clubs
Famous matches
- First Derby : Al-Merreikh 2-0 Al-Hilal - 1934 - The Match of the Green Grass Market (Soog Algash) - Omdurman
- Al-Merreikh 6-2 Al-Hilal - 1948 - Education day cup - Omdurman
- Al-Merreikh 7-0 Al-Hilal - 3/09/1955 - Friendly - Khartoum
- Al-Merreikh 3-5 Honvéd - 1956 - Friendly Match - Omdurman
- Al-Merreikh 3-1 Asante KotokoAsante KotokoAsante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice been champions of Africa. The club's home ground is...
- 1962 - Friendly - Khartoum - Al-Merreikh 14-1 Alamir - 1966 - Khartoum League - Omdurman
- Al-Merreikh 0-0 Egypt national football team - 1979 - Friendly - Khartoum
- Al-Merreikh 2-0 Nigeria national football team - 1988 - Friendly - Khartoum
- Al-Merreikh 2-0 Asante Kotoko - 2007 - Friendly - Khartoum
