he Bright Stars of South Sudan return to nyayo stadium’s hallowed lawns to play Harambee Stars of Kenya in an international friendly match on Saturday 13th March 2021.
It was at nyayo that FIFA’s last born registered a historic victory beating the mighty Uganda Cranes by a solitary goal to leave their Africa Cup of Nations open.
The victory remains South Sudan’s most significant to date and the Bright Stars hope to conjure the same magic to down flip flopping Harambee Stars and carry the momentum into their remaining group fixtures.
The team has been honing their skills under the watchful eyes of Cyprian Besong Ashu of Cameroon.
Bright Stars hope to upset odds and leapfrog leaders Burkina Faso, Uganda and Malawi to feature in the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the first time in their brief but momentous history.
Besong has instilled military discipline in the team as he runs a strict regime. His charges have played four times in the qualifies so far, winning one and losing the others.
The two fixtures left are therefore, do or die ties for Besong and his galaxy of Bright Stars.
The team will also play with record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia before hosting fellow group underdogs Malawi in Khartoum then flying to Ouagadougou for their sixth and final group engagement with the hosts Burkina Faso.
Besong is targeting good results in the two fixtures and will count on his team’s solidity at the back that contained Uganda so well at nyayo stadium.
Ugandan born Tito Okello who scored the lone goal is fit to start for the South Sudan’s national and should be comfortable enough having stayed at the Kenyan capital with Gor Mahia for the last six months
With John Kuol and David Majak also practically staying in Kenya for the last decade, the team should draw confidence first to get past Jacob Ghost Mulee’s Harambee Stars, then Gor Mahia before ultimately playing for their bloodlines against Malawi in Khartoum.
Victory over Malawi will keep them in the race for a much coveted Africa Cup of Nations ticket but a loss or draw will render their way fixture with the Bukinabes a formality for the young ambitious nation.
Against Kenya’s locally assembled Harambee Stars South Sudan have a strong side to gauge their strengths against.
Mulee is likely to start James Saruni in goal with AFC Leopards’ prolific forward Elvis Rupia leading the lines.
Ghost is under pressure after bungling what initially seemed to be a straight forward qualifying campaign and will look to instill a winning mentality into his squad heading into Kenya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
