Wikipedia / Al Merrikh SC
Wikipedia / Al Merrikh SC
Al-Merrikh Sporting Club () is a Sudanese professional football club based in the city of Omdurman. Their home stadium is Al-Merrikh Stadium, which is locally known as The Red Castle. Founded in 1908, Al-Merrikh is one of the oldest football clubs in Africa and competes in the Sudan Premier League. The club currently competes in the Rwanda Premier League, the top-flight of football in Rwanda, due to the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
Club history
Al-Merrikh was founded under the name of Al-Masalma Sporting Club in 1908 by students from Al-Masalmah district that was headed by their chairman Jek Deng Aban Gorang in Omdurman of Gordon Memorial College. The club renamed as Al-Merrikh Sporting Club on 14 November 1927.
Rivalries
The club has a fierce rivalry with Al-Hilal with the games between them regularly selling out, with both teams being perennial contenders. They won the Om-al-Dahab championship in 1965 and are the only team to have ever won this one time event. Al-Hilal is also based in Omdurman with only Al-Ardha Street separating the teams. Between them they are Sudan's two most successful football clubs.
Honours
Players
Former managers
Performance in CAF Competitions
CAF Champions League 31 Appearances
1971- Second round
1973- Second round
1975- Quarter-finals
1978- Second round
1983- First round
1986- First round
1991- First round
1994- First round
1998- First round
2001- Second round
2002- Second round
2003- First round
2009- Group stage
2010- Second round
2011- First round
2012- Second round
2013- First round
2014- Preliminary round
2015- Semi-finals
2016- Second round
2017- Group stage
2018- Preliminary round
2018-19- Preliminary round
2019-20- Preliminary round
2020-21- Group stage
2021-22- Group stage
2022-23- Group stage
2023-24- Second round
2024-25- Second round
2025-26- First round
CAF Confederation Cup 8 Appearances
2004 - Preliminary round
2005 - Second Round
2006 - Play-off Round
2007 - Runners-up
2008 - Group Stage
2010 - Play-off round
2012- Semi-finals
2016- Play-off
African Cup Winners' Cup 11 Appearances
1984- Second round
1985- First round
1987- Second round
1989- Winners
1990- Semi-finals
1992- Semi-finals
1993- Quarter-finals
1995- Second round
1997- First round
1999- First round
2000- Second round
Performance in Arab Competitions
Arab Champions League 12 Appearances
1988- Group stage
1994- Group stage
2002- First round
2003-04- First round
2005-06- First round
2006-07- First round
2007-08- Second round
2008-09- Second round
2017- Group stage
2018-19- Semi-finals
2019-20- First round
2023- First round
Arab Cup Winners' Cup 3 Appearances
1992- Preliminary round
1999- Preliminary round
2000- Group stage
Performance in CECAFA Competitions
CECAFA Clubs Cup 8 Appearances
1985- 3rd Place
1986- Champions
1987- Runners-up
1988- Runners-up
1994- Champions
2009- Runners-up
2011- 3rd Place
2014- Champions
References