In a very pleasant break from everything referendum-related, Sudan is hosting the African Nations Championship, a tournament formed of teams from across the continent where every player plays in their respective domestic league.
In Khartoum’s International Stadium there was a sell-out crowd for the host nation’s match against Uganda. Countries like Sudan, who have few players on the international stage, actually have quite a large chance to go far in the tournament, as foreign clubs have not whisked off their best players abroad.
Leaving the stadium, evidence of Sudan’s win over Uganda filled the streets, with car-horns honked, and flags waved everywhere. Celebrations and demonstrations that just several days previously—different, political context—received a heavy put-down from the Sudanese authorities.