Juba National Stadium. (File photo: Courtesy).

The suspended Board of Directors of the Juba Local Football Association has submitted a petition to FIFA regarding the Juba Stadium dispute, says head of the national football-governing body.

General Augustino Maduot Parek, President of South Sudan Football Association said on Sunday that they were copied in the letter that the JLFA sent to FIFA.

However, Gen. Maduat assured the public that the move of JLFA will not cause any problems between SSFA and FIFA.

“Yes, it has reached FIFA, they have written a petition and we have been served with a copy, it was addressed to the Secretary General of FIFA, but the issue is FIFA, not us,” said Maduot.

Gen. Maduot said they will comply with any decision taken by the world football body.

“If FIFA said they can open the Stadium with JLFA to be in where they are now we have no problem with that.”

“So the body they have complained to is the same body that has given us the condition because FIFA has given us the condition that if JLFA still in their location now Juba stadium will not be accepted as international stadium.”

The petition comes after the South Sudan Football Association suspended members of the Board of Juba local football Association last month.

This came out after a longstanding dispute over the ownership of Juba National Stadium between the two sports bodies.

Meanwhile, the Central Equatoria State Minister Youth and Sports Rita Dominic backs the suspended Board of Directors of Juba Local Football Association.

Minister Rita said she recognizes the legitimacy of the JLFA despite the suspension order by the national football-governing body – SSFA.

On Friday, sports fans on social expressed their concern over the matter some of them cited that the move of the Juba local football Association may cause serious punishment by FIFA to the entire football in the country.

Maduot denied that the delayed opening of the stadium is linked to the dispute, and said it is due to the insulation of technical equipment in the building.

“We finish all the work and remain only this issue we have other stakeholders, we have the government of Central Equatoria, the national government, and the FIFA we will tell them if there is anybody who is rejecting Juba Stadium to be in use, FIFA will not accept, and this cannot be an obstacle”.

Juba National Stadium was previously owned by the Central Equatoria Ministry of Youth and Sport.

But in 2018, the ministry transferred it to the Juba Local football Association with the aim of transferring it to the South Sudan Football Association.

In the same year, the Juba Local Football Association transferred its ownership to the South Sudan football association for 20 years.