By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudan’s women’s football giants, Yei Joint Stars, have secured a transformative financial future after penning a massive tripartite sponsorship agreement valued at over 70 million South Sudanese Pounds. The landmark deal, signed on Wednesday in Juba in a high-profile press conference, is set to professionalize the club’s operations and provide the fiscal stability needed to dominate both domestic leagues and regional competitions for the upcoming 2025/26 season.
The total value of the one-year contractual agreement stands at 79,585,000 South Sudanese Pounds. This significant investment is comprised of contributions from three key partners: Larry Investment provided 19,250,000 South Sudanese Pounds, Horizon ICT Solutions contributed 11,000,000 South Sudanese Pounds, and a primary sponsorship injection of 49,335,000 South Sudanese Pounds.
Mabe Clement, the Yei Joint Stars Club Secretary, signed the agreement on behalf of the club president, ushering in what he described as a new era of professionalism. “We have Larry Investment Company Limited and Horizon ICT Solutions. So these are new partners coming to support and we believe with their support it will take us to another level,” Clement stated.
A central pillar of the new partnership is the implementation of rigorous financial oversight. To ensure the longevity of the deal, the club has established a mechanism for accountability where all funds must be transferred through the banking system rather than handled as cash-to-cash transactions.
“This would set in place a mechanism for accountability and transparency,” Clement explained. “We hope that after this season’s sponsorship we expect more continuation of this and this will only be done once we have a proper system set in place”.
The funding is specifically earmarked to solve long-standing logistical hurdles, including the production of official sports kits and replica jerseys. In the past, the club struggled to secure basic equipment and uniforms, often relying on voluntary individual contributions. By covering these costs, the management can now redirect resources toward player welfare, including school fees for the athletes and improved camp conditions.
“Most of the times we would get players to the camp very late because we have to look for resources for every aspect. But with the fact that the jersey aspect is taken, it is going to give us an opportunity to focus on a particular area and then our performance we expect to improve,” the Secretary added.
Peter Awongo, the Chief Executive Officer of True Line Africa the club’s main sponsor noted that while they have supported the team informally since their inception, this official signing marks a strategic shift. Under the deal, True Line Africa’s logo will take the center position on the kits, with Larry Investment and Horizon ICT Solutions appearing on the left and right respectively.
“The girls are going to be running with our logos across South Sudan and the region. That means they will take our services across,” Awongo remarked. He emphasized that the company was captivated by the team’s success and the accountability metrics demonstrated in their proposal.
Supporting this sentiment, Sam Romeo, Real Estate Manager for Larry Investment Company, stated that the partnership was a result of the club’s consistent trophy-winning record. “Currently there is no club that can compete with Yei Joint Stars. So we are now moving regionally. And also as a company, we are looking at that level,” Romeo said.
Denis Peter of Horizon ICT Solutions concluded by noting that the agreement is an investment in the nation’s youth rather than a traditional business deal. “It’s not just a conditional agreement… it was an opportunity that opens our eyes to see in what sector or area we can contribute our love to the nation, the community and the young people,” he stated.