Bright Stars get mega financial boost ahead of AFCON qualifiers

By Kitab Unango

SSFA Executive members display $100,000 worth cheque from Tristar Company (Photo: Ikilas Henry)
South Sudan national senior team has been handed a mega financial boost by Tristar to facilitate their preparation ahead of their AFCON qualifiers against Uganda Cranes in November.
Tristar, one of the official sponsors of the Bright Stars doled out $100,000 to cover the coach’s motivational salary and ensure that technical skills are imparted in players to produce better results in the build-up to the major continental tournament slated for 2021.
The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) secured the money in form a cheque from Tristar to pay the salary of the Cameroonian coach, hired last year to train South Sudanese National Team.
The money adds to periodic one million dollars SSFA receives from the International Federation of Football Association to finance national and local football associations, development of the country’s sports and purchase of kits.
“Today we are going to receive the salary of Coaches for the year 2021,” Francis Amin, President of SSFA said.
“Everyone has seen the performance of our national team. We have changed the national team performance from 30 per cent to 80 percent. Today, Tristar has proved the continuation of collaboration and the team will gain more improvement.” Amin said.
Last year, Bright Stars displayed jaw-dropping performances in AFCON, CHAN and FIFA qualifiers, a history Tristar Country Manager, Ravneesh Aujia believed next year will be significantly different with the return of players to the country.
“The return back of several players playing with foreign clubs has been very encouraging. We are hopeful that the coming year will see an even better performance,” Aujia said.
Part of the $100, 000 Tristar’s donation will be used to purchase sports’ kits to blend players’ appearance, according to the head of Financial Committee of SSFA Makur Majok.

However, Makur said the Association was facing a challenge of adequate finance to cater for players’ insurance, one of the requirements for taking part in international tournaments.
“Not only insurance but we have a lot of issues to be done concerning the national team of South Sudan. Firstly, everything is related to cash given the financial situation in South Sudan.
“The whole South Sudan Football Association is depending on FIFA fund which is not enough to cater for national team and salaries of staff and other football activities,” he said.
Tristar Country Manager promised to continue supporting the SSFA and the South Sudan community to overcome developmental challenges.
The company has made several supports to education and health sectors in South Sudan over the past months as well as COVID-19 National Taskforce Committee.
South Sudan will take on Uganda Cranes in November in a rescheduled fixture of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.