South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation will soon be making their second appearance in the qualifiers of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (WAFCON), since their attempt for the 2024 finals.
However, the upcoming a qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
South Sudan played its first match of the qualifiers against Algeria at the Juba National Stadium. Despite the historic significance of this match, the South Sudanese side suffered a 5-0 defeat against a much more experienced Algerian side.
A Challenging Start Against a Superior Opponent
From the very first minutes, Algeria imposed themselves on their opponents. The Fennecs quickly found the back of the net with Naïma Bouheni, who scored a brace (10th, 22nd).
Despite their desire to perform well, South Sudan struggled against the Algerian offensive and conceded a third goal before halftime, scored by Ines Boutaleb (40th).
In the second half, Algeria continued to destabilize the local defense. Lila Aït Outhman increased the score (60th), before Fatma Chouchane sealed Algeria’s victory with a fifth goal (85th).
A Historic First for South Sudanese Women’s Football
Despite the loss, this match remains a pivotal moment for South Sudanese women’s football.
The game took place at the Juba National Stadium, a venue recently renovated with funding from the FIFA Forward development program.
The Development of Women’s Football in South Sudan
South Sudan has made significant strides in women’s football in recent years. In 2019, the South Sudan Football Association launched the first national women’s league, a major step toward professionalizing the sport.
In 2021, the national team participated in its first international competition, the CECAFA Women’s Tournament, marking a turning point in its development and also entered the FIFA rankings.
Despite the results not going their way, efforts in putting a solid structure for women’s football in the country continues.
An Encouraging Future Despite the Defeat
Besides the crushing defeat, this match remains an essential milestone in the development of women’s football in South Sudan. The South Sudan Football Federation’s primary goal is to gain experience and strengthen its squad to compete with the best African nations.
The next step for South Sudan will be to learn from this defeat and prepare for the return match in Algeria, which will take place on Tuesday, 19 February.
