The President of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), Augustino Madut, inaugurated the fourth edition of the annual Fanta Martyrs Tournament on Saturday in Juba.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was graced by a large number of officials and the public.
The opening game was won by the Fanta team which beat Nile Bet.
Malik Musa scored two goals for Fanta followed by a goal each BY Kawaj Kammoun, Regan, Majed Saleh, and Hani Abu Bakr.
Fanta controlled the course of the match, which was one-sided, despite having their star, James Joseph, sent off with a red card in minute 55 after a strong intervention on Nile Bet star Michael Kueth.
Hani Abu Bakr of the Fanta team won the star of the match after an impressive display of skills.
Acting Al Hilal Juba Club President Omar Ishaq who was also the chairman of the organizing committee of the Annual Fanta Martyrs Tournament, thanked all fans for attending the opening ceremony.
He said he hoped that fans in Juba would enjoy the tournament and said that Fanta is no longer just a football club but a cultural and social club and a meeting place for all people.
For his part, Jalal Abdullah Doka, a member of the board of directors of the Juba Local Football Association, affirmed their support for such tournaments, adding that such events create a spirit of brotherhood and give space for sports fans to discuss sports issues.
Meanwhile, Augustino Madut, the SSFA president, said sports serve many issues in the country including offering entertainment and healthy living.
Pointing out that the fans come to the stadiums to feel joy, he added that the SSFA considers any sporting activities very important, especially football. He explained that there were players like Richard Justin and James Joseph who gave a lot to South Sudan and the national team and that they became role models because of the desire of many children and youth to become like them.
Madut stressed that the Association encourages such tournaments and reiterated that one of the problems and challenges they face is the significant shortage in the number of stadiums in the country.
Participating in the fourth edition of the tournament are Fanta, Lawyers, Goodly, Rambo, No Time, Nile Bet, Lier, Trailers, Facebook, One Stop, Nimra Talata, and Jikang football clubs.
The teams are divided into three groups, with four teams in each group, with the first and second from each group qualifying directly to the quarter-finals of the tournament. The two best teams that finish at the group stage in third place in the rankings will join them.