Al Merreikh: The Mars

For over a century of its existence, Al Merreikh which means Mars in Arabic is one of the two most successful clubs not only in the horn of Africa, but also in the entire continent. Based in Omdurman in Sudan, Al Merreikh is one of the oldest clubs in the continent having been founded in 1908. It plays its home matches at their famous Al-Merreikh stadium or the Red A castle as it is often referred to by the adoring supporters of the club. Their football rivalry with another local side Al Hilal is one of the most tense and highly contested fixtures in every footballing calendar. Without any slight doubt, it becomes difficult to say the best club between the two, thereby adding even more flavour to this intensive derby. In the Sudanese football league, it has always been between Al Merreikh and Al Hilal. This kind of competition has enabled Al Merreikh to stay in the best possible footballing condition, thereby winning the national league 19 times and the Sudanese cup 24 times.

Being one of the most financially stable clubs in Africa, Al Merreikh is well-known for employing many football talents in Africa. This has led to a diverse culture in the club and in a country that strongly follows Islam as a religion. With many players coming from different backgrounds, Al Merreikh has provided the perfect ground and atmosphere for these players to ply their trade. It has imported talents not only from Africa but also from Asia as well as from the Americas.

As a club, Al Merreikh is known for having had numerous presidents in its history. In most cases, these presidents are often seen as the main leaders of the club and offer leadership in every sense and department of the club. Even though some the club's presidents have been honorary players, most of the club's presidents are elected by the club's registered members. One of the club's most famous presidents is without a doubt, Abdulrahman Shakhour who has contributed massively to the growth of the club. In one of his massive contributions to the club, Abdulrahman contributed the land in which the club's stadium is built.

In terms of managers, Al Merreikh has been a club that has arguably employed diverse coaches from more than ten countries in the world. This is something, which is not common in African football, especially within clubs. Al Merreikh has been managed by coaches from Germany, Brazil, Egypt, Sudan and France among others. This is one of the marketing and publicity strategies that Al Merreikh has been using to enhance its profile in the world of football. Perhaps, the club has resorted to such strategies because they have not tasted much success in the continental stage. However, they did come close to winning CAF champions league in 2007 before losing to eventual winners. They did win once in the continental stage back in 1989 when they lifted that Africa cup winners cup.

By looking at Al Merreikh's history, it is easy to notice that it is one of the most organized clubs in Africa. This has ensured that it is one of the biggest clubs not only in Sudan but also in the horn of Africa.