South Sudan national team Bright Stars have returned home after going through to the group stages with a win against Seychelles on Sunday.

The team were 3-1 on aggregate winners after beating Seychelles 1-0 in the return leg of their AFCON Preliminary round of qualifiers.

Speaking on arrival at the Juba International Airport Tuesday afternoon, the President of the South Sudan Football Association said the first stage of the qualifiers is over now the focus shifts to the group stages.

“We are past the stage that we thought was difficult. I want to thank these young men behind me for the job well done,” Francis Amin told reporters at the JIA.

“What I can say is, the next stage is going to be the toughest and I am calling on everyone to come and support this cause – the government, businessmen, companies, fans and well-wishers – for us to try reach the AFCON.”

The Captain of the team, Khamis Leon, also seconded the statement of the president by calling on the government to support the team.

“Just like the president said, we are appealing to our government and other stakeholders to come in and support the SSFA so that we can achieve the dream of playing in the AFCON,” Leon said.

South Sudan are in group B along with Uganda, Burkina Faso and Malawi, and will resume training on the 26 October for the first league of the group stages with Malawi.