South Sudan’s first ever World Cup qualifier is a chance to unite a divided country
Since the euphoria that marked its independence from the north in 2011, things have not been easy for South Sudan. A power struggle between president Salva Kiir and his deputy vice president, Riek Macha, engulfed the new country in a new ethnic conflict that has left thousands dead and turned millions into refugees. A tenuous peace treaty agreed upon in August is barely holding. But all these divisions will be set aside as the country gets ready to play its first ever World Cup preliminary qualifier against Mauritania today (Oct. 7)
“The national team has representatives from most of the tribes in South Sudan,” president of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), Chabur Goc Ali told The Independent. “We have the Dinka, we have Nuer, we have Azande and so on.” Click here to read the full report.
