South Sudan's national football team celebrates a goal against Kenya during the CHAN match on Sunday, October 27, 2024. 📸 Credit: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

The South Sudan national team secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Kenya in the first round of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers, held at Juba National Stadium on Sunday.

Bright Stars marked a milestone with their first victory at the newly inaugurated Juba National Stadium

This triumph comes after a challenging start at the stadium, which opened in July, where the team faced three consecutive losses.

South Sudan was defeated 2-1 and 3-2 by Uganda and South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers and suffered a 3-0 loss to Sudan in the World Cup qualifiers.

The long-awaited victory has energized fans and players alike, and the national team looks forward to maintaining momentum in the second leg against Kenya on November 3 in Uganda.

Both teams entered the match with a similar 4-3-3 formation, with Kenya focusing on central attacks while South Sudan exploited the flanks to advance.

The first half ended goalless despite South Sudan’s persistent attempts, but the breakthrough came early in the second half when winger Ezbon Maalesh scored a stunning goal in the 50th minute.

With momentum on their side, South Sudan extended their lead in the 68th minute through a header from Johannes Folino.

Kenya fought to reduce the gap, dominating possession afterwards, but South Sudan’s defence held strong, withstanding the pressure until the final whistle.

South Sudan will meet Kenya again on November 3 in Uganda, needing only a draw or a loss by a single goal to advance to the next round.

Following the game, the Kenyan coach Engin Firat recognised the difficulty of the match, citing limited preparation time and expressing surprise over Kenya’s need to qualify despite organising the tournament.

South Sudan’s coach Nicolas Dupuis acknowledged challenges in maintaining physical fitness and noted plans to address them in the upcoming game.

Augustino Madut, head of the South Sudan Football Association, commented on the team’s performance, attributing previous struggles to a lack of support but expressing optimism after this important win.

Elsewhere, Djibouti edged Rwanda 1-0, securing a narrow lead to defend in Kigali.