South Sudan’s defender Benard Agele is focused to seeing FIFA’s new member state grow in stature over the years.
The lanky and gangly player, born and raised in Uganda (Ediofe Hills, Arua) to a South Sudanese father (Micheal Popo) and Ugandan mother (Rita Drania) chose to play for South Sudan than the Uganda Cranes.
I want to see Sudan Sudan national team develop and grow to greater heights
Agele, who turns out for The Saints in the Uganda Premier league was part of the team that lost 3-0 to Benin in the recently played AFCON 2017 qualifier in Juba.
We missed some of our best players in that game.
The professionals from Australia (Geu Apech and Apai Ukuno), Germany (Ladulé Lako) and the United States of America (Duach Jock) failed to travel due to flight complications.
Also, we had suspensions (Toni Aluk and Zacharia Nasio) as Khartoum based Isaac Mokonzi missed the frey too.
But, we are focused and determined in the last game away against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo.
Agele (shirt 5) watches as the goalie Juma Genaro picks up a routine collection meanwhile Benin striker, Modibo Maiga (formerly at West Ham) keeps the pressure
He has previously played at Sports Club Victoria University when he won the Uganda Cup and the Nile Basin tournament.
The South Sudan national team is currently coached by a Ugandan born tactician Leo Adraa, formerly at Malakia and Atalabara football clubs.
South Sudan is currently ranked 157th (with 174 points) on the latest FIFA rankings’ log out of the 209 member nations.
In the CECAFA region, they are ahead of Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia.
After the AFCON 2017 qualifiers, Agele and South Sudan will switch allegiance to the CECAFA Senior challenge cup tournament in November and December 2016.
