The newly elected president of the Torit Local Football Association (TLFA)  Akille Maridi Cypriano is calling on South Sudanese to use sports as a tool to unite the country.  

On Monday, TLFA which boasts of 34 local football clubs conducted general elections in which Mr. Maridi emerged the winner, deputized by Ocheng Philip Clement. 

“Football is a unifying factor, football is being used as a very big weapon for achieving peace but not for destruction. Football goes through the walls of tribalism, goes through the walls of every bad thing. We want to take football in this state to the next level and this is not going to be achieved if we are not united," Maridi said. "I call upon every one of us to come together and we try to revive the relationship between the administration of Torit local football associations with all the organs.”

For his part, Wani Kute Joseph the director-general for information, culture, youth, and sports in the now-defunct Torit State calls for cooperation amongst stakeholders to promote sports in the state 

“This is the beginning of peace. The year 2021 is a peaceful year and I would like to put this forward to all stakeholders in football and sports at large. We want to work in collaboration because our mandate is to support the association and other existing associations in Eastern Equatoria state, we will have time to sit with the new committee to plan together”, he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Louis Lobong Lojore who attended the elections encouraged the association to represent the whole state and not concentrate all games and funds in Torit only.

"I want to see you encouraging young men and women in all the territory of Eastern Equatoria. I would like to see that the best team is identified from all the teams from Nimule, Jie, Kasengor they might have done and identify the best team that will compete,” Governor Lobong added.