Football officials are expected to sit to determine when a key South Sudanese football match between Atlabara and Malakia teams should be replayed after a power outage ended the match prematurely.
The electricity to the stadium lights at Juba Stadium abruptly went off in the last five minutes of the game last Friday, with the game tied at 3-3.
Radio Miraya reported on Monday that there appeared to have been a problem with the main generator supplying the stadium with power.
“The match between Atlabara and Malakeia started in a fantastic way,” said the secretary of the Juba Football Association board of directors, Emanuel Dario, lamenting that the power then went off with only four to five minutes remaining in the match.
He explained, “We in the local football association, we are suffering from this issue of the generator and the power, but we thank the authorities of the state for getting us a new generator. But up to now the company responsible did not hand it over to us.”
John Kumuyangi, secretary of the referees’ committee, says they will write a report to the board of directors that will decide when the match should be replayed, according to Radio Miraya.
“According to the rules and regulations, if the match did not end, it must be played from the starting point. The association will sit and give their view about the match if they want to reschedule it soon. It’s up to them,” he said.
The Malakia-Atlabara encounter was a crucial game to determine the champions of the Division One season in Juba.
File photo