Darfur newcomers suffer defeat in Sudanese PL opener

Champions al-Hilal Khartoum are the team to beat this season The 18th edition of the Sudanese Premier League kicked off on Tuesday, with lone Darfur representative Merriekh el-Fashir suffering a 2-0 defeat at home to title holders al-Hilal Khartoum .Pre-match activities to welcome the new season were organised by the state and attended by presidential adviser Gaafar al-Sadek al-Mirighni.
Sports pundit Mohammedin Mohammed Ahmed told Arabstoday the new season features three newly-promoted teams from the states of Gezira, River Nile and Darfur in central, northern and western Sudan respectively. These teams are al-Ittihad Wadmandi, al-Ahly Atbara and Merriekh el-Fashir.
"The clubs have had a considerable amount of time to prepare, so competition will be intense," he said.