NAIROBI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan is hoping to beat Uganda in Friday's African Nations Championship (CHAN) football qualifiers in Juba in a bid to unify the war-torn country, the head of football association said Thursday.
Francis Amin Michael, the newly elected head of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), urged South Sudanese to rally behind the bright stars as they face Uganda cranes before the return leg in Kampala on July 22.
"The citizens should come closer to football and use it as a tool to reconcile especially the youth. We need peace and harmony to improve football in the country," he said.
Amin disclosed that their players were already in good mood in the camp and have mustered the strategy from the technical staff.
"We are ready for the match, we visited the players today and they really showed a lot of morale. The Bright Stars will win the game tomorrow," he added.
The CHAN was initiated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which allows only players in domestic leagues to participate.
The recent power wrangles within the SSFA had threatened to halt football development in South Sudan until fresh elections were ordered this year after FIFA and CAF intervention. Enditem
