South Sudan ais set to play Uganda in a 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier to be held in Kenya in early 2018.
Football federations from the two countries confirmed that the first leg of the fixture will be played on 14th July 2017 at the Juba Stadium, with the return leg played at the Phillip Omomdi Stadium in Lugogo.
The winner between Uganda and South Sudan will face the winner of another match pitting Tanzania and Rwanda.
South Sudan overcame Somalia 5-0 on aggregate in the preliminary round of the qualifiers.
The South Sudanese players see this as a great opportunity to showcase their abilities, putting their country’s woes behind them, albeit for a short-while.
Sport has been tipped to play a major role in uniting the people of South Sudan amid the devastating war that has killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes.
The country is currently ranked by the United Nations as Africa’s biggest refugee crisis, and third worldwide after Syria and Afghanistan.
The world’s youngest nation last year had five people in the inaugural Refugee Olympic Team that participated at the Rio showpiece.
Kenya will host CHAN between 11 January to 2 February 2018, with the Democratic Republic of Congo looking to defend the title they won in 2016.
