Bentiu City-Olympic Renk match. (Photo: SSFA).

Bentiu City secured their first win of the South Sudan Premier League season, defeating Olympic Renk 2-0 at Juba National Stadium in a thrilling encounter that saw a massive attendance on Wednesday.

Bouncing back from an embarrassing 5-1 loss to Jamus FC, Bentiu City head coach made strategic adjustments, including deploying Nigerian Nathaniel Ehi Isiwele to strengthen the midfield and disrupt Renk’s offensive flow.

Both teams demonstrated exceptional ball movement and defensive organization early on, but a critical own goal by Olympic Renk center back Dictor Kuol in the 20th minute handed Bentiu an unexpected lead.

Despite the setback, Olympic Renk’s goalkeeper fortified his post, denying several close attempts by Bentiu City to extend their advantage before halftime.

In the second half, Olympic Renk created multiple scoring opportunities which were blocked by Bentiu’s goalkeeper.

Relying on swift counterattacks, Bentiu doubled their lead in the dying moments of the match. Striker Gatluak Chuol broke free from four defenders to score a stunning solo goal, sealing the victory.

Bentiu’s Cameroonian coach Ndongo Barut Ben, who was in charge for just six days, admitted his tactical approach focused on exploiting counterattacks and capitalizing on the opponent’s mistakes.

Meanwhile, Olympic Renk’s coach, Mohamed Kur, acknowledged his team’s challenges, including missing five key players due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

He vowed to improve player fitness and performance in upcoming fixtures.

The win earned Bentiu FC their first three points of the season, while Olympic Renk awaits their postponed match to bounce back. Only one yellow card was issued during the game for Olympic Renk.

Since the South Sudan Premier League began on December 23, the majority of the matches have ended decisively in victories, although there were a few notable exceptions.

The match between Jamus and Wajuma Aweil concluded in a 1-1 draw, marking the only tie so far.

Two matches have been postponed due to the late arrival of some teams, adding a slight scheduling challenge to the tournament.