The Sudanese football star, Hasab El-Rasoul Umar Ali, known as Hasabu El-Sagheir (little Hasabou or Hasabu junior), is one of the country’s most accomplished sportsmen. His achievements include an outstanding performance on the national team during the 1970 Africa Cup of Nations, which resulted in Sudan winning the title for the first and only time. Hasabu grew up and went to school in the Burri neighbourhood of Khartoum. His football career began in 1964 as a player for Burri FC, one of the strongest footballing teams at the time, and this is where he remained until his retirement from the game. During Hasabu’s first season at Burri FC, the team played a major game, and it was his strong performance in this that led to his selection on the national team. Hasabu El-Sagheir has therefore only ever worn the colours of Burri FC and the Sudan national team. His greatest achievements with Burri FC were beating the great Al-Hilal and Al-Mirikh football teams and winning the Sudanese league and championship. He also helped Sudan win a number of titles abroad, including the CECAFA championship in 1969. However, the greatest foreign achievement which Hasabu El-Sagheir will be remembered for is winning the title of highest scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations, including his two goals against Ethiopia and his winning goal against Ghana in the final.
The Sudan national football team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 consisted of: in goal Abd-al-Aziz Abdallah, goalkeeper of Al-Marikh FC; in defence was James from Al-Tahrir FC; Samir Salih from Wad Madani FC; Najm-al-Din from Al-Nil FC; and Amin Zaki from Al-Hilal FC. Centre field was Bushara and Kamal Abd-al-Wahab both from Al-Marikh FC and Abd-al-Kafi, Hasabu al-Kabir; Hasabu El-Sagheir from Burri FC and Awad-al-Sid; Jaksa, Gagarin and Al-Dihaysh from Al-Hilal FC.
Hasabu collaborated with Sudan Memory in 2019 to make a filmed interview recording from his home in Burri, Khartoum, to tell his story as one of Sudan’s football stars (and a memorable character to all who meet him!). A number of images from his personal photo album were scanned by Sudan Memory and are available to view here.
The data for this collection is currently only available in Arabic.