By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudan Junior National Team, nicknamed the “Junior Bright Stars,” has commenced training in preparation for the upcoming U-17 African Cup of Nations Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) qualifiers 2024.
The team will undergo daily morning and afternoon training sessions at Juba Stadium until they depart for Uganda.
Their campaign in the qualifiers begins on December 15th with a match against Kenya, followed by a derby against Sudan on December 16th.
Their final group stage match will be against defending champions Somalia on December 21st, all to be played at Nakivubo Stadium in Uganda.
A total of eight nations will participate in this year’s CECAFA U-17 Championship. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners securing spots in the 2025 CAF U-17 AFCON tournament.
All participating teams are required to arrive in Uganda by December 9th to undergo mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests.
Uganda has been chosen as the host nation for the 2025 edition of the tournament, which will take place from December 14th to 27th at Hamz Stadium and St. Mary’s Kitende.
The Junior Bright Stars have been drawn into Group B alongside Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan. In the previous edition of the CECAFA U-17 AFCON qualifiers held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2022, South Sudan was defeated by Somalia 3:1 in the finals.
Group A: Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi
Group B: Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Kenya