The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) said the lack of financial support is a significant factor behind the national football team’s unsatisfactory performance.
Speaking to reporters in Juba on Friday, the President of the South Sudan Football Association, Augustino Madut Parek, stressed the importance of investing adequate funds into the national team to achieve the desired results expected by the fans.
He stated, “If the results of our national football team are not acceptable, there are a lot of things you need to take into account. We have to accept on our side whether we have done enough or not for the coach to prepare the team.”
During the conference, Madut further highlighted a specific instance of how financial constraints adversely affected the team. He cited a match against Congo where logistical challenges caused by a lack of funding led to disorganization.
The President recounted, “We were playing Congo; we travelled from here when it was remaining some hours to play the game. If you lose the game, who is mistaken? Is it the coach or the administration? Or is it because sometimes we don’t have money? Last time the vice president was there, he had to travel from Congo to Tanzania, so some players did not even practice because they reached very late due to lack of financing, which made us disorganized.”
Regarding a recent incident of violence following a football match between Pibor and Aweil in Juba, Madut attributed the occurrence, in part, to inadequate infrastructure.
He assured the public that the SSFA is actively investigating the incident and intends to release a comprehensive report for the public’s understanding. Madut commented on the importance of having the proper infrastructure in place to prevent fan invasions on the pitch, stating, “It is also to do with infrastructure if we had the right infrastructure, then you will have a place that you block fans from invading the pitch.”
However, the President acknowledged that the SSFA cannot directly investigate the violence in question as the tournament was organized by a community. He clarified the SSFA’s stance, saying, “It was not directly under the leadership of the SSFA, but of course, we don’t say if they are having violence, it is up to them because it is involving referees, administrators in the SSFA, and the players themselves. These are players of the SSFA, these are clubs under the SSFA, and therefore we don’t say it is up to them.”
Madut stressed the critical need for increased financing to support the national team and address the challenges hindering their performance.