Football fans across Abyei have been welcoming the selection of the first ever player from the region for the South Sudan national squad. Arop Ajuong Miyar, who is the goalkeeper for Nile Abathok FC, was picked for the ‘Bright Stars’ after performing well during the recent South Sudan Cup matches in Wau.
Supporters are now waiting to see if Arop is picked for South Sudan’s home and away fixtures against Benin in late March.
A supporter of Chuai-Ayak FC in Agok, Albino Alphonse, said Arop’s elevation was a source of pride for the whole of Abyei. He said teams in Juba might now be looking to sign him.
Arop Ajuang began his career with El-Mostagbal juniors in Khartoum in 2001. He came back to Abyei in 2008, joining Abyei Olympic FC and El-Mostagbal Abyei before Nile Abathok FC. He said he hoped more Abyei footballers would follow in his footsteps. He said it was a challenge playing the game here, largely because of a lack of qualified coaches. He said he had watched a lot of football in Wau, and the female sides he had seen there should encourage women and girls in Abyei.
Nile Abathok’s coach, Leu Angui, was confident that Arop would not spend much time warming the substitutes’ bench. He said Arop had the talent and determination to succeed as South Sudan’s number one keeper.
The general secretary of the Abyei Football Association, Kuol Ayom Madut, said Arop’s selection showed that local players could progress despite the difficulties of playing in Abyei. He said footballers had to cope with a lack of decent surfaces, and a season that was usually foreshortened by the rains.
Abyei’s minister of education, information, culture and sport, Alor Dho el Beit, said he hoped that football would become more professional in Abyei, and bring opportunities for business people to exploit.
Reporting by Abyei Today