South Sudan Football Association flagged off the women’s football league over the weekend to enable players from eight regions to compete and build a pathway for making a robust national team.

Four matches were played.  Kuajok Women FC lost 1-0 to Bentiu United FC and Torit Women FC hammered Wau Women FC 8-0 in the opener. In the other match, Yambio Women FC lost 3-0 to Yei Joint Stars FC.

The league, which is being formed for the first time in the country, comes into existence following a resolution by the SSFA last year to form a Women’s National League to train talents.

The league is a brainchild of SSFA President Francis Amin who credits its formation to the country’s clamour to meet all the sporting requirements by Football International Federation Association (FIFA).

“I started the women’s football League programme because we need to follow the FIFA standard and the professional way of playing women’s football. I’m very happy that we’re going to kick off the first ever Women’s Football League in South Sudan. It started as a dream but now it’s going to be a reality on the 20th of February,’’ he said.

He said he was devoted to implementing all the strategic plans and the visions of the association to strengthen the new league

Talents in place

The initiative has sent some players into excitement like South Sudan National Senior Women’s Team Captain Amy Lasu who believes that the project will be such a massive success.

 “It’s the first time this is happening so the mood is great, it is a big deal for all the women because it has never happened in this country so there is a lot of excitement and the women can’t wait for the League to start.

 “I’m mostly looking forward to playing other teams because I’ve never been able to play with other teams except the ones in Juba, so I’m looking forward to playing with them to see how good they are, and I think it’s going to be great,” said Lasu, as quoted in SSFA website.

Yei Women Football Club Coach Sonia Amaka—who also serves as the SSFA U20 women’s national team coach—said the league will not only train players but also enable more coaches to emerge in the country.

She told SSFA: “This is great for our country because, players will get the opportunity to play with women from all states across South Sudan. This is also going to give us a chance as coaches to practise our coaching skills working with the women day in day out for the first time.

“Our team Yei Women FC has been training hard and all the girls cannot wait to play their first match, so I’m looking forward to competing with all other teams.”