Junior Bright Stars shed tears following the painful 4-0 defeat to Tanzania. (Photo: SSFA)

South Sudan’s U17 football team suffered their first lose in AFCON’s CECAFA Qualifiers 2024 – having fallen to a 4-0 defeat to Tanzania on Tuesday in the semifinals in Kampala.

Bright Stars sailed to the qualifiers semifinals on December 8 following two consecutive victories over Somalia and Sudan.

But the junior national team’s dream of winning the CECAFA title seems to be slipping away following the dominant 4-0 thrashing by Taifa Stars at the Nakivubo Hamz Stadium.

Tanzania took only 16 minutes to find the back of the opponents’ net with Hussein Mbegu’s clinical finish.

Ngahabi Zamu then doubled the Taifa Stars lead in the 34th minute and just two minutes later, Abel Joseha made it 3-0 before halftime.

The Bright Stars struggled to find their rhythm, while Tanzania capitalized on their chances.

The second half brought little relief for South Sudan, as Juma Abushiri added a fourth goal for Tanzania in the 50th minute, securing their place in the final.

Despite their valiant effort, the Bright Stars could not break through Tanzania’s resolute defense.

With this result, Tanzania advances to the final, while South Sudan will play in the third-place playoff against the loser of the Uganda-Somalia semi-final.

However, the Bright Stars’ hope of qualifying for the U17 African Cup of Nations remains alive.

As the region requires three representatives, securing a victory in the third-place match would still earn South Sudan a spot in the continental finals, a historic milestone for the team and the nation.