By Yang Ater Yang
Al Maderia FC of Aweil has officially crowned itself champions of the Bahr El Ghazal Region Zonal Qualification (Group A), securing a hard-fought 1:0 victory over local favourites Gonzaga FC Rumbek.
With this final matchday win in the South Sudan National League 2025–2026 competition, Al Maderia FC advances to the highly anticipated South Sudan Premier League stage in Juba with a flawless tournament record.
Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports William Koji Kirjok, during the event, said that the South Sudan Premier League for Group A of the Bahr el Ghazal region has been played in Rumbek, the headquarters of Lakes State, for a period of 2 weeks.
He added that the tournament has come to an end, where Madiriya of Aweil played with Gonzaga of Rumbek Lakes State.
“Of course, Gonzaga FC has lost the game while Maderia FC of Aweil won the game,” he said.
“The game has ended successfully, and we really appreciate the fans and the people of Lakes State for cooperating with those fans who came from greater Bahr el Ghazal, and they have been here with us,” he added.
He said they need such a spirit of sportsmanship to continue.
“I encourage those who are going to Juba from Madera FC, Aweil. Northern Bahr el Ghazal is now representing all of us so that they do the best in Juba,” he said.
Abass Emad Abass, representative of the South Sudan Football Federation competition committee, said that they were there in Rumbek to organise the tournament.
He said this group here is called Group A, and it is a zone of greater Bahr el Ghazal, and it has 5 teams from different towns.
“We have a team from Rumbek Town, and that’s Gonzaga FC, and we have a team from Aweil, and that’s Maderia FC; the team from Abyei is called Amad-Jang, and the team from Wau is called Uyanga,” he said.
“These teams come here in Rumbek, and we organised this qualification zone process whereby each team plays each other, and the team that reaches the highest point is the one being qualified from the zone, and it will proceed to Juba to play with the champion of the other zones, that’s Greater Equatoria and Upper Nile.”
He said today we have come to the end of our qualification, and then I have to say congratulations to Al Maderia FC because Madiriya FC is the one that got qualified with the highest points, which is 12 points out of 12 points.
He said Maderia FC of Aweil is the one that qualified, and Maderia FC will proceed to Juba, and the first match will be played in Juba.
He said the match will be on the 25th of this month, and it will kick off in Juba.
“For us as organisers, we say hard luck to Gonzaga FC. Definitely, we wish them to come back strong next year. They will be coming stronger. Now, I think they have experience of what happened in the matches,” he said.
“Next year, they will be coming stronger, and for Maderia FC, we say congratulations to them because they are proceeding to the second level, and I wish them the best of luck in Juba.”
He said those teams that are going to represent are the champions of their local leagues in their respective areas, and the standard of football they are playing, I am very impressed with it, and the standard is very good, and they have talented players and young players.
“When I see them here in Rumbek. There is a coherence of living together and a peaceful bridge of football that’s bringing people together. We are happy, and we hope that it will be a signal of peace among the people of Bahr el Ghazal,” he said.
Thiep Adimo said the game ended peacefully without any conflict despite the hardest final match against Gonzaga FC in the zone A group of the Bahr el Ghazal region.
“Congratulations to ourselves for winning the final of the Bahr el Ghazal region, and hard luck to Gonzaga FC of Rumbek. Next time, we wish you success,” he said.
He said they will be traveling to Juba to face the other teams in the competition that will take place on the 25th of May this month.
Meanwhile, Isaac Dok, Gonzaga FC head coach, said that he appreciates the fans in Rumbek for the support they have given to us in Rumbek Freedom Square.
He emphasised that football is the game of either winning, drawing, or losing, and that it needs hardship in order to qualify for the final.
“We will never give up. Next time, we shall try to play well, and we will never give up, and this is what I want to say to our fans,” he said