El-Merriekh Bentiu in action against Nile City Yambio. January 5, 2024. (Photo: SSFA).

El-Merriekh Bentiu FC triumphed over Nile City Yambio FC with a resounding 5-1 victory in match-week 2 of the South Sudan Premier League at Juba National Stadium at Juba Stadium on Sunday.

The match showcased a reinvigorated El-Merriekh squad following their 2-0 loss to Al-Malakia Juba on December 23, 2024.

The Mars made significant changes to the opening match lineup by replacing the goalkeeper, right back, pivot, playmaker, and striker, and this significantly enhanced their performance.

El-Merriekh set the pace early with Tot Meat netting to put them ahead in the 14th minute. But Nile City’s Tomba John struck back with a spectacular double kick to equalize in the 27th minute.

El-Merriekh regained the lead just two minutes later through Akinbinu Saed, ending the first half 2-1 in their favor. Meanwhile, the first half was marked by intense physical clashes, resulting in multiple injury-related substitutions.

In the second half, El-Merriekh’s technical superiority and player experience became evident as they dominated the game. Chol Peter added two more goals in the 49th and 84th minutes, while Tethloach Thor scored in the 75th minute.

Despite El-Merriekh’s dominance, their attackers missed several opportunities that could have made the score even more one-sided.

Nile City coach Jonathan Oliver attributed the defeat to poor preparation and the players’ unfamiliarity with artificial turf.

“The absence of some key players also impacted our performance,” he said, promising to address these issues before their next match.

Al-Merriekh’s assistant coach Ahmed Simon acknowledged the areas for improvement despite the victory.

“We identified the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents early in the game, but we still need to work on finishing our attacks,” he stated.