Sunday Adetunji's Al Hilal Lose Sudanese Premier League Title After Appeals Ruling

Sunday Adetunji's Al Hilal Lose Sudanese Premier League Title After Appeals Ruling

Sampson Adedeji

Nigerian forward Sunday Adetunji has been denied a Sudanese Premier League title after Al Hilal lost the 2025/26 championship following a ruling by the league's Appeals Committee, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The committee awarded rivals Al Merriekh a 2-0 victory in the decisive league derby after finding that Al Hilal breached the competition's foreign player regulations.

Under Sudanese Premier League rules, clubs are permitted to field a maximum of five foreign players in a match.

While Al Merriekh complied with the regulation by using five foreign players, Al Hilal fielded eight, prompting Al Merriekh to lodge a formal protest and appeal the match result.

After reviewing the case, the Appeals Committee ruled in favour of Al Merriekh, overturning the original result and awarding them a 2-0 win along with the three points.

The decision dramatically altered the final standings, with Al Merriekh finishing the season on 21 points, three ahead of Al Hilal, who dropped to 18 points.

As a result, Al Merriekh have officially been crowned the 2025/26 Sudanese Premier League champions, while Al Hilal have been stripped of the title.

Former Nigeria Professional Football League striker Sunday Adetunji played a key role in Al Hilal's league campaign, but the club's championship hopes were ultimately dashed by the boardroom decision rather than events on the pitch.