By Lodu William Odiya
The South Sudan Football Federation (SSFF) has pledged to work closely with the South Sudan Deaf Football Federation (SSDFF) to promote and develop inclusive football and create more opportunities for deaf athletes across the country.
According to the Federation, the commitment followed a meeting between SSFF Secretary General Bak Athian Bak and a high-level delegation from the SSDFF at the federation’s headquarters in Juba on Sunday.
The visiting delegation was led by SSDFF Chairperson Manyuon Angelo and Deaf Football Chairperson Malek Mabior.
“During the meeting, the SSDFF leaders presented their vision of establishing a structured and nationwide deaf football program, while also highlighting challenges affecting the growth of the sport,” the statement partly read.
Among the major concerns raised was the shortage of qualified coaches and trained referees capable of training and officiating deaf football teams.
The delegation also pointed to a lack of essential sports equipment, including training balls, as well as limited access to suitable football grounds.
The SSDFF further requested logistical and financial support to facilitate the travel of the Yei deaf football team to Juba for talent identification and player selection.
Speaking after the meeting, Bak said the SSFF was ready to cooperate with the Deaf Football Federation and support the development of the sport where possible.
The move is expected to strengthen efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities are given greater opportunities to participate in football and other sporting activities in South Sudan.
Manyuon welcomed the discussions and expressed appreciation to the SSFF for receiving the delegation and listening to the concerns facing deaf athletes.
“We are here to demonstrate that deaf athletes possess real talent and an active football structure,” Angelo said.
He said building the federation across all ten states would help establish a strong foundation for the future development of deaf football in South Sudan.
Malek also called for equal opportunities and greater recognition of adaptive sports, saying persons with disabilities should not be excluded from sporting activities.
“Persons with disabilities in South Sudan deserve equal opportunities in sports,” Mabior said.
He noted that awareness of deaf football remains limited in South Sudan compared to some other countries but said the federation believes it can develop a competitive program with proper coaching, patience, and institutional support.
The SSDFF hopes that stronger cooperation with the national football governing body will help address challenges related to technical personnel, equipment, facilities, and talent development.
The meeting marked a step towards expanding inclusive football and giving deaf athletes across South Sudan a platform to showcase their talent at national and potentially international levels.