Published: October 27, 2025
MONROVIA — Liberian teenagers Kindness Cole and Emmanuel Flomo will feature in the Rwandan Premier League after their Sudanese club, Al Hilal SC, was granted permission by the Rwanda Football Federation to compete there due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
According to Reuters, Al Hilal received approval along with Sudanese Premier League rivals Al Merrikh and Al Ahli Wad Madani to play in Rwanda this season. Cole, a 19-year-old playmaker, joined Al Hilal on a five-year deal that runs until 2030 from Mighty Barrolle Sports Association. Flomo, who signed a pre-contract, will complete a permanent move when he turns 18 on Oct. 30, 2024, in compliance with FIFA transfer regulations for minors.
The Liberian youngsters are yet to make their competitive debuts for the club, but with the permission now in place and Hilal progressing to CAF Champions League group stage there is still an opportunity for the pair to live their dream with the Sudanese giants.
Last season, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh were permitted to play in Mauritania to remain active and maintain their club operations. This year, they will continue in Rwanda alongside Al Ahli Wad Madani, the Rwanda Football Association confirmed. In July, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, who have shared all but four of Sudan’s league titles since its inception in 1965, participated in a mini-tournament held in Ad-Damer and Atbara — areas far from the conflict — to determine qualification for continental competitions in the 2025–26 season.
Al Hilal and Al Merrikh dominated, with Al Ahli Wad Madani finishing third. However, the persistent unrest has made a regular league season impossible in Sudan, prompting the clubs’ relocation.
Al Hilal have already secured a spot in the group stage of the CAF Champions League after defeating Police FC of Kenya 4-1 on aggregate. The team hosted the home leg of their second-round tie in Benghazi, Libya, which also serves as the base for Sudan’s national team. Despite the challenges, Sudan will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations later this year in Morocco, even though the national team has not played a home match since March 2023.
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