Al Hilal have been stripped of the 2025/26 Sudan Premier League title after the Sudan Football Association's Appeals Committee ruled that the club fielded more foreign players than permitted in the decisive Omdurman derby against arch-rivals Al Merrikh. Al Hilal had initially been crowned champions after defeating Al Merrikh 1-0 on June 10 to move top of the mini-league playoff standings. However, Al Merrikh lodged an appeal, alleging that their rivals breached league regulations by fielding eight foreign players despite competition rules allowing a maximum of five in a match. ALSO READ: Al Hilal, Al Merrikh to host CAF Champions League matches in Kigali After reviewing the case, the Appeals Committee upheld Al Merrikh's appeal, ruling that Al Hilal had violated the league's player eligibility regulations. As a result, the committee declared Al Hilal to have forfeited the match, overturning the original result and awarding Al Merrikh a 2-0 victory. The decision handed all three points to Al Merrikh, moving them to the top of the standings with 21 points, three ahead of Al Hilal, and confirming them as the 2025/26 Sudan Premier League champions. ALSO READ: Al Hilal injects $300,000 into CECAFA Kagame Cup for next three years In its ruling, the committee said Al Hilal had breached the regulations governing the maximum number of foreign players allowed to feature in a match. It therefore imposed an administrative defeat on the club, a decision that ultimately changed the destination of the league title. The verdict sees Al Merrikh crowned champions of Sudan for the 36th time in the club's history. However, the matter may not be over, as Al Hilal could still challenge the ruling through the appropriate football authorities. Both clubs participated in the BK Pro League in Rwanda. Al Hilal won the title while AL Merrikh finished the campaign in third place before heading to their home country for the domestic title.
