El Merreikh Bentiu FC players and staff celebrate on the pitch after defeating Al Ghazal Wau FC 2-1 to claim the South Sudan National Cup 2025-2026.

El Merreikh Bentiu FC won the South Sudan National Cup 2025-2026 after defeating Al Ghazal Wau FC 2-1 in the final. Head coach Ibrahim Hussein became the first Sudanese coach to win a title in South Sudan.

The victory gave the Bentiu-based club its first South Sudan National Cup. This result ended the period where clubs from Juba and Wau won the competition.

Both teams played for the trophy. El Merreikh Bentiu scored during moments of the match to lead the contest. Al Ghazal Wau scored one goal to change the score. El Merreikh Bentiu held the lead until the end to finish the match 2-1.

El Merreikh Bentiu joins the list of winners since the competition began in 2012. Previous winners include Al-Malakia FC, Atlabara FC, Al Salam FC, Jamus FC, and Al Hilal FC. The win followed losses in the 2024 and 2025 finals where the club lost to Jamus FC in penalty shootouts.

Head coach Ibrahim Hussein spoke to Eye Radio on Saturday. He stated that the achievement followed months of work and coordination with the administration to change the team.

“During the six months since I took over the technical management of El Merreikh Bentiu FC, I have been in constant communication with the club’s administration regarding the team’s technical needs and shortcomings, and we are still working on addressing them. We are trying to introduce a different football philosophy in the country,” Hussein stated.

The coach added that his ambition is to contribute to the development of football in South Sudan by nurturing talent for the national teams across age categories.

“I was born in South Sudan, and my goal is to build a future team capable of competing strongly, while also supplying the national teams with talented players, from the senior national team to the Olympic side, Under-20 and Under-15 teams, through local South Sudanese talent,” Ibrahim Hussein stated.

“South Sudan is a young nation blessed with talents that only need proper development and guidance. Today’s recognition as the Best Coach of the South Sudan Cup is a honor for me, my country, and South Sudan as a whole. It is also a sign that we, as local coaches, are capable of achieving success and accomplishments.”