By Mazhun Idris
On November 19, the Sudanese football national team scored a solitary goal against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Sudan citizens, who had been affected by the ongoing war, for a moment shoved aside their plight to celebrate the win.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier victory for Sudan was testament to football's ability to unite people, even in moments of distress.
Sudan has experienced unrest since April 15, when the army and the paramilitary forces started armed battle for control of the country. The result has been thousands of deaths and displacement of at least seven million people.
Football has proven to have the power to silence guns – even if it is for just a day.
Pele in Nigeria
For instance in Nigeria, a 48-hour ceasefire was observed in 1969 to facilitate a football match when the country was experiencing a civil war.
Marca reports that on February 4, 1969 – at the height of the deadly civil conflict known as the Biafra War – Brazilian great Pele led Santos FC to a 2-1 win against the Nigerian national team in a match played in the then capital, Lagos.
During the exhibition match, the warring parties in Nigeria honoured and observed a ceasefire.
In recent times, Jos City, the capital of Plateau State in Nigeria's north-central region, is an old mining town where at least 40 ethnic groups reside.
Ethno-religious conflict
Jos inhabitants, who are slightly under one million in population, belong to different religious faiths.
In 2001, a violent ethno-religious conflict hit the city. People who had lived for ages as neighbours and friends suddenly became bitter rivals.
But through the power of sporting activities, especially football, the clashing interests in Jos city are being gradually aligned.
Salama Football Tournament is an annual peacebuilding campaign that takes place in Jos. It was launched in 2016 by Bege Foundation, a non-profit organisation seeking to promote peace.
'Healing a divided community'
Kenneth Attah, the organisation's Team Lead, tells TRT Afrika that the tournament, which attracts 16 teams per competition, is forging unity among the youth communities in the city.
"We chose football because it is one sport that has proven that it can unite everyone, regardless of social or economic background. It has the potential of healing a divided community," he said.
In other parts of the city, Face of Peace Global, which was founded in 2006, is another organisation that uses football to promote peace in Jos.
Its leader Salis Muhammad tells TRT Afrika that "football plus music equals peace" is the organisation's mantra.
Peace campaign vehicle
"Summits and conferences hardly attract the people involved in violent conflicts, as football and music do," Salis said.
Salis added that "studying the peculiarity of our community" enabled Face of Peace Global to adopt football as its peace campaign vehicle.
Attah of Salama Football Tournament says: "Every time we hold a match, everybody at the football stadium forgets about their differences. The spectators and players celebrate and embrace one another."
For Salis, the football tournaments allow him and other members of Face of Peace Global organisation to "meet community gatekeepers and youth leaders" to champion peace.
Peace-promoting names
He says that the teams that take part in the tournaments organised by the NGO usually adopt peace-promoting names such as "forgiveness", "reconciliation", "love", "patience", among others.
Even long after the tournaments are held, the teams continue to train together or play against each other, according to the peace initiative organisations.
Salis said that about 300 youths have benefited from the annual football tournament over the last three years.
Umar Shehu Tabako, the former president of Plateau United football club, tells TRT Afrika that football is bridging the religious and ethnic divisions among the youths in Jos.
Post-curfew camaraderie
"Sometime back, a curfew was imposed in Jos. But after it was lifted, I was shocked to see football players from rival communities headed to a friendly match, and embraced each other instead of fighting one another," he recounted.
Nigeria is one of Africa's leading football nations, according to FIFA rankings. It is also one of Africa's biggest football markets in terms of fan base, given its population and liking for sports and the arts.
Analysts say the power of the the game in fostering peace and unity can further be harnessed in the country and beyond.
