South Sudan’s national team, the Bright Stars, arrived in Kampala on Thursday to face Uganda on Friday in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Morocco.
South Sudan will also battle Kenya, and the winner will face either Rwanda or Djibouti in the final round of the competition.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, Chairperson of the National Teams Committee Michael Daniel, expressed happiness for the safe arrival of the team.
“Our national senior team arrived early this morning in Uganda for the qualification matches to Morocco 2025. The team went through many challenges. I think all of you know the current situation of the country,” said Daniel.
He dismissed media claims that the head coach had been sacked and some players had refused to join the team due to unpaid salaries.
The President of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), Augustino Maduot Parek, said South Sudan would play 10 games but lacked support.
“We have a lot of activities this year. We need to start with World Cup qualifiers. We are playing 10 games and are done with four. We are also playing in the preliminaries to qualify to Afcon,” said Maduot
South Sudan head coach Nichola Dupuis on Wednesday unveiled the Bright Stars’ provisional squad for the Kampala clash.