"One of our childhood friends was also with them, but he couldn't say anything. So he just saw our friend die in front of his eyes - and that's it." The matter of fact way in which Sudan forward John Mano recounts the death of his best friend Medo is at odds with the intense look burning in his eyes as he does so. Medo is one of more than 150,000 people to have been killed during the country's civil war which began in April 2023. "I think they forgot some certificates," the 24-year-old tells BBC Sport Africa, speaking at the team's hotel at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco.

Source: BBC December 29, 2025 11:25 UTC