SSFF President meets with the Sudanese Ambassador to improve football relations

The President of the South Sudan Football Federation (SSFF), Gen. Augustino Maduot Parek, met with H.E. Issam El-Din Karar, the Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to South Sudan, this morning at the SSFF headquarters in Juba in a move that highlights the expanding sports diplomacy between South Sudan and Sudan.

The goal of the high-level meeting was to strengthen football collaboration between the two countries. Both parties talked about ways to improve bilateral athletic ties as South Sudan has emerged as a regional football hub, including hosting the Sudanese national team in recent months.

President Maduot cited the growing number of Sudanese athletes joining South Sudanese teams as evidence of the improvement in cross-border football cooperation. “South Sudan-Sudan relations are in a good stage right now, particularly when it comes to cooperative football,” he stated.

The situation of Sudanese players in the South Sudanese league was also discussed at the conference, and their increasing participation and impact on the domestic competition were acknowledged. Mr. Victor Lawrence Lual, the Secretary General of the SSFF, was also in attendance for the talks.

In the midst of larger initiatives to use sport as a vehicle for development and unification, this meeting represented yet another advancement in the football relations between the neighboring nations.