Al Merrikh SC

Al-Merrikh Sporting Club (Arabic: نادي المريخ الرياضي) 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, as well as being the only other realistic challenger to the league crown. 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 most powerful and successful football clubs.[citation needed]

Honours

Domestic

• Sudan League/Sudan Premier League Champions (19): 1970, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2018–19, 2019–20.
• Sudan Cup Winners (19): 1951,1955, 1961, 1962, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018. (Record)
• Khartoum League Champions (17): 1954, 1956, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997

Continental

The only Club in Sudan to win Continental Cup.

• African Cup Winners' Cup Winners (1): 1989
• CAF Confederation Cup Runners-up (1): 2007

CECAFA titles

• CECAFA Clubs Cup Winners (3): 1986, 1994, 2014

Players

As of 19 September 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Performance in CAF Competitions

• CAF Champions League 30 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 - Runners-up
• 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