Two South Sudanese soccer players have returned home after attending six month training in
Maebashi City in Japan.
Edward Sitimu Yugu, the director general of sports in the national ministry of youth and sports
said Christopher Nyang and Marko Oryeu Michael who arrived in the country on Friday will
inspire young footballers to work hard to become professional footballers.
Christopher Nyang, a forward who plays for Bajur F.C said they have learnt modern techniques
of playing football from the Japanese soccer academy in Maebashi city.
“We have really enjoyed the training and we have benefited from the soccer training, we used
to visit schools, we have learnt so many skills, they have good training facilities,” Nyang told
journalists in Juba.
“We do not have good training facilities and stadiums,” he added.
Marko Oryeu Michael, a goalkeeper playing for Rainbow F.C said the training he attended will
contribute toward raising the standard of football in South Sudan.
“We are very excited to represent South Sudan in Japan, it was difficult to interact but after two
months of training we interacted with each other and we learnt more in terms of football,”
Michael said.
Mina Watanabe, the head of cultural affairs at the embassy of Japan in South Sudan, said they
are supporting sports in the country in order to achieve peace and unity among South
Sudanese.
“Maebashi city and South Sudan’s ministry of youth and sports signed agreement, that will see
the city accept South Sudanese sport players every year for training as a symbol of the
continuous friendship and collaboration between the two countries,” Watanabe said.
Tanaka Hiroyuki, the chief representative for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
said the program is meant to strengthen friendship and collaboration between the two sisterly
countries.
“South Sudan is a friend of Japan, the cooperation in sport for peace is one of the pillars of JICA
in South Sudan. JICA believes sport is necessary for social cohesion in South Sudan,” Hiroyuki
said.
