South Sudan vs South Africa in Cape Town - Photo Courtesy SSFA Media.
South Sudan Football Association have come out to strongly condemn allegations their national team received a charted flight from South Africa ahead of their final fixture of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The Bright Stars concluded their group matches with a 3-0 defeat against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at Cape Town Stadium. However, reports later emerged that South Africa had chartered a flight for the Bright Stars and provided full accomodation for the team so they could beat them to top the group.
South Sudan Football Association spokesman Albino Kuek Deng has dismissed the claims in a statement seen by Pan-Africa Football.
“On behalf of South Sudan Football Association, I categorically debunk and condemn the misleading information making rounds on social media, which falsely claims that the South African Football Association (SAFA) chartered a team flight and provided full accommodations for the South Sudan National Football Team during our recent AFCON qualifier match on Nov, 19th, 2024 in Cape Town,” read part of the statement.
“I would like to emphasize that the SSFA has consistently fulfilled its responsibilities in compliance with CAF regulations and policies which we independently manage all aspects of the team’s travels and accommodations for the said game as it has been done for all other international competitions.
“Where we find it often difficult to secure another source of revenue for funding the projects of the national teams, the SSFA has always remain resolute and taking upon itself with integrity, the full responsibilities of providing national teams’ trips, standard accommodations and every other necessary logistics for all international competitions, from FIFA World Cup qualifiers, AFCON qualifiers, CECAFA tournaments, CAF Pan-African School Championship and the ongoing CHAN.”
The statement continued: “Despites this unfortunate financial constraints the country is going through, SSFA catered for all official games and has never withdrawn from any international competition and tirelessly continues to provide training facilities, sponsors all national competitions, match-day logistics, and players’ incentives in both home and away camps.
“These unproven social media statements are nothing but an attempt to spread misinformation that oblige no purpose other than to buy unnecessary attention and discredit the dedication and efforts of SSFA towards football development in South Sudan and public should disregard it.”
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