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Sudan's under-17 women's national soccer team competed in Olympic qualifying matches in Morocco last week. The squad, assembled weeks earlier from schoolgirls and refugees, lost both games by large margins.
Abc NewsSudan's under-17 women's national soccer team traveled to Casablanca, Morocco, last week for Olympic qualifying matches. The inexperienced squad lost 17-0 and 13-0 to Comoros. Players had trained together for only weeks before the matches.
Sudan's women's soccer activities stopped when civil war began in 2023. The soccer federation fielded an under-17 team to keep Sudan's place in the qualifiers after it could not assemble a senior squad. Nura Mohamed, the 17-year-old team captain, said her goal is to lift up soccer in her country.
Burhan Tia, who oversees Sudan's women's national teams, said the team is made up mainly of schoolgirls while opponents field players who compete in Europe.
The United Nations has described the war as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. More than 40,000 people have been killed and over 14 million displaced since fighting began between the military and the Rapid Support Forces. Manal Ali Bushra, who heads the women's soccer committee, said some players traveled long distances for training and many are separated from their families.
The federation plans to build a sports city and renovate stadiums in safer areas. Tia recruited players from schools across Sudan and from Sudanese communities in Egypt after many families fled the war.
Al JazeeraIranian negotiators left Switzerland after 18 hours of talks with U.S. counterparts. Tehran said progress was made on oil export waivers and asset releases, while oil prices fell.
middleeasteye.netTwo Palestinian teenagers aged 15 and 19 were shot and killed near Beit Ummar. Israel's military said troops fired on three people throwing Molotov cocktails near the Karmei Tzur settlement, wounding one.
livemint.comThe United States and Iran reached agreement on a roadmap to conclude their conflict within 60 days following high-level talks in Switzerland. Technical discussions will continue this week at Burgenstock resort under mediation by Pakistan and Qatar.