United Arab Republic v Sudan (1959 African Cup of Nations)

{{Infobox football match

| title = 1959 African Cup of Nations Final

| event = 1959 African Cup of Nations

| team1 = United Arab Republic

| team1association = {{flagicon|UAR|size=30px}}

| team1score = 2

| team2 = Sudan

| team2association = {{flagicon|Sudan|1956|size=30px}}

| team2score = 1

| details =

| date = 29 May 1959

| stadium = Prince Farouk Stadium

| city = Cairo

| man_of_the_match1a =

| referee = Zivko Bajic (Yugoslavia)

| attendance = 30,000

| weather =

| previous = 1957

| next = 1962

}}

United Arab Republic v Sudan was the decisive match of group stage at the 1959 African Cup of Nations. The match was played at the Prince Farouk Stadium in Cairo on 29 May 1959. Unlike other Africa Cup of Nations, the 1959 winner was determined by a group stage, with three teams playing in round-robin format, instead of a knockout stage. This was the first edition to feature a final group stage and one of two, alongside the 1976 African Cup of Nations, to promote this format.

Both teams had defeated Ethiopia but the goal difference was in favour of United Arab Republic, who had beaten Ethiopia 4-0 while Sudan had won 1–0. Therefore, Sudan needed to win the last match to claim the title of champions of Africa; any other result would have the United Arab Republic retain the title they had won (as Egypt) in 1957.

United Arab Republic beat Sudan 2–1, therefore keeping first place in the group and winning their second consecutive title.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/59a.html |title=African Nations Cup 1959 |publisher=Rsssf.com |date=2013-10-03 |access-date=2016-08-15}}

Background

The road to the title in the 1959 Africa Cup of Nations was unique, with a round-robin group instead of a knockout stage. The three competition teams were United Arab Republic (host country), Sudan and Ethiopia.

United Arab Republic and Sudan won their matches against Ethiopia, United Arab Republic by 4–0 to top the group, ahead of Sudan who won by 1–0.{{cite web |url=http://www.koorasudan.net/vb/showthread.php?t=77400 |title=توثيق فوز منتخب السودان بالميداليه الفضيه لامم افريقيا 1959م |website=www.koorasudan.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829084544/http://www.koorasudan.net/vb/showthread.php?t=77400 |archive-date=2013-08-29}} {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=054mYzejwnw |title=نهائي كاس إفريقيا 1959 السودان مصر |publisher=YouTube |date=2014-01-30 |access-date=2016-08-15}}

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=Q

|show_positions=n

|winpoints=2

|title=Positions before the final round

|team1=UAR|name_UAR={{fb|UAR}}

|team2=SUD|name_SUD={{fb|SUD|1956}}

|team3=ETH|name_ETH={{fb|ETH|1897}}

|update=complete|source=

}}

Match

=Match details=

{{football box

| date = 29 May 1959

| time =

| team1 = {{fb-rt|UAR}}

| score = 2–1

| report = {{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

| team2 = {{fb|SUD|1956}}

| goals1 = Baheeg {{goal|12||89}}

| goals2 = Manzul {{goal|65}}

| stadium = Prince Farouk Stadium, Cairo

| attendance = {{formatnum:30000}}

| referee = Živko Bajić (Yugoslavia)

}}

style="width:92%;"

{{Football kit

| pattern_la =

| pattern_b =

| pattern_ra =

| pattern_sh =

| pattern_so =

| leftarm = 008000

| body = 008000

| rightarm = 008000

| shorts = FFFFFF

| socks = 000000

| title = United Arab Republic

}}

|{{Football kit

| pattern_la =

|pattern_b = _sudan_1959h

|pattern_ra =

|pattern_so = _sud_can59h

|leftarm =

|body =

|rightarm =

|shorts = FFFFFF

|socks =

|title = Sudan

}}

width="25"\|	width="25"\|
style="width:100%;"
style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"\| {\| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
GK	{{nbsp}}	Adel Hekal
RB	{{nbsp}}	Tarek Selim
CB	{{nbsp}}	Yaken Hussein
CB	{{nbsp}}	Rifaat El-Fanagily
LB	{{nbsp}}	Taha Ismail
RM	{{nbsp}}	Mimi El-Sherbini
CM	{{nbsp}}	Mahmoud El-Gohary
CM	{{nbsp}}	Sherif El-Far
LM	{{nbsp}}	Saleh Selim
CF	{{nbsp}}	Essam Baheeg
CF	{{nbsp}}	Alaa El-Hamouly
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan=3\|{{flagicon\|HUN}} Pál Titkos

| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|

width=25\|	width=25\|
cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto;"
GK	{{nbsp}}	Samir Mohammed Ali
RB	{{nbsp}}	Ahmed Mutawakil Mohammed El-Bashir
CB	{{nbsp}}	Hassan Mohammed Al-Abd
LB	{{nbsp}}	Ibrahim Mohammed Ali 'Ibrahim El-Kabir'
RH	{{nbsp}}	Abbas Al-Hedi Syam
LH	{{nbsp}}	Suleiman Difalla Al-Mahina
OR	{{nbsp}}	Mahmoud Abd Zoubeir
IR	{{nbsp}}	Boraî Bashir
CF	{{nbsp}}	Mutalib Abdel-Nasser 'Drissa'
IL	{{nbsp}}	Siddiq Manzul
OL	{{nbsp}}	Abdullah Wahaga
colspan=3\|Manager:
colspan=3\|{{flagicon\|HUN}} József Háda