After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
They will face title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt in Cairo on Tuesday, with the return match in Mauritanian capital Nouakchott on April 8.
Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force in the country.
The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the United Nations.
Democratic Republic of Congo-born Hilal coach Florent Ibenge recalled the outbreak of war to the Mauritanian media recently.
“My family were with me in Sudan and we fled to France via Djibouti. It was a sudden, frightening experience,” said the 63-year-old, who has been at Hilal since 2022.
Desperate for regular match practice, the 30-time Sudanese champions accepted an offer to play in the Mauritanian championship.
They use the national stadium in Nouakchott to host Champions League matches, and reached the quarter-finals this season by topping Group A.
“We are extremely grateful to our Mauritanian brothers for allowing us to play in their national league,” Abdelrahman, a 31-year-old forward, told Mauritanian media.
“Playing in the Mauritanian championship has given us vital match practice for our African commitments.”
Hilal currently lie fourth, six points behind leaders Nouadhibou, but have four matches in hand. The Sudanese have won 11 matches, drawn four and lost two.
Abdelrahman first played for Hilal in 2010 as a 16-year-old and had stints with Merrikh and Algerian club Bordj Bou Arreridj before rejoining the ‘Blue Wave’.
– ‘Outsiders’ –
He believes the fact that Hilal were largely written off as Champions League contenders this season helped them secure a last-eight place.
“We were outsiders in our group,” he said, referring to a section including former champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo and Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, and Young Africans of Tanzania.
But Hilal made a superb start, defeating Young Africans and Mouloudia away and Mazembe in Mauritania to reach the halfway mark with a maximum nine points.
They then drew with visiting Mouloudia to seal a quarter-final place with two matches to spare — a feat not even record 12-time champions Ahly could match.
“We overcame the obstacle of not being able to play in our beloved homeland because we are warriors,” said Abdelrahman.
“Our team revel in being underdogs. Defeating Young Africans in Tanzania got our group campaign off to a great start. It gave us belief.
“Success has been hard earned. We have worked relentlessly to achieve victories in the Mauritanian league and in Africa. Hopefully, we can maintain our good form against Ahly.”
The clubs have met eight times in the Champions League. Ahly won all four matches in Egypt. Hilal won two and drew two in Sudan.
Hilal debuted in the elite African club competition — initially called the African Cup of Champions Clubs — in 1966 and reached the semi-finals.
They came closest to lifting the trophy in 1987 and 1992, finishing runners-up to Ahly, then Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
This season, Hilal are making a 24th consecutive appearance, reaching the semi-finals four times during the remarkable run.
They will be underdogs against Ahly, who hope to become the first club to win the Champions League three times in a row.
But being outsiders suits Hilal fine.
