It may be pre-season conditioning time for most Hyundai A-League stars at the moment, but Melbourne Victory’s Kenny Athiu is preparing for a huge moment in his own, and his country’s history.
South Sudan have only been a FIFA member since 2012, less than a year after they gained recognition as an independent nation.
The uncapped Athiu has been called up to be part of the Bright Stars’ squad as they attempt to qualify for their first ever major international tournament.
FRIDAY PREVIEW: Australia U-23 v New Zealand U-23LATEST: Brennan wants to be role model as openly gay professional footballer[1][2]
The first time South Sudan entered FIFA World Cup qualification, for Russia 2018, they were two-matches-and-done following a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Mauritania in the first round of the African zone.
The 27-year-old Victory attacker will join his teammates for their Qatar 2022 first round first leg, against Equatorial Guinea at Al-Hilal Stadium in Sudan, kicking off at midnight Thursday, 5 September AEST.
South Sudan, ranked 169 in the world, will be the underdogs against their 139th-ranked opponents who reached the semi-finals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
The second leg is set for Monday 9 September at 2am AEST in the Estadio de Malabo. Another two-legged defeat and four years of dreams will be dashed in the space of five days.
SIGNING NEWS: All of Melbourne Victory's Ins and Outs for the 2019/20 SeasonEVERY CLUB'S SHIRT: New kits for all 11 Hyundai A-League clubs in 2019/20[3][4]
References
- ^ Australia U-23 v New Zealand U-23 (www.a-league.com.au)
- ^ Brennan wants to be role model as openly gay professional footballer (www.a-league.com.au)
- ^ All of Melbourne Victory's Ins and Outs for the 2019/20 Season (www.a-league.com.au)
- ^ New kits for all 11 Hyundai A-League clubs in 2019/20 (www.a-league.com.au)
Newer articles:
- Sudan PM unveils first post-Bashir cabinet - 05/09/2019 13:00
- A mega concert in South Sudan to promote peace - 05/09/2019 11:34
- FAO South Sudan Resilience Strategy 2019–2021 - 05/09/2019 07:54
- South Sudan opposition alliance to hold elections amid divisions - 05/09/2019 04:38
- South Sudan Rebels Urge Government to Fund Peace, Not Roads - 04/09/2019 21:19
Older news items
- Humanitarian charities say South Sudan displacement crisis still desperate, one year after peace deal - 04/09/2019 01:35
- SPLA-IO denies fresh recruitment from Uganda - 04/09/2019 01:06
- How a South-Sudanese superstar (Gordon Koang) found home in Australia with the help of an indie-punk label - 03/09/2019 22:06
- Sudan PM to announce new cabinet ‘within 48 hours’ - 03/09/2019 09:40
- No Simple Solutions: Women, Displacement and Durable Solutions in South Sudan - 03/09/2019 02:25
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan can leverage China’s AI path to bridge the digital divide - 16/09/2026 16:04
- Credible Elections Are No Longer Possible in South Sudan - What Next? - 16/09/2026 15:59
- South Sudan's president replaces electoral chief three months before scheduled polls - 16/09/2026 15:56
- Turkish Airlines is pulling out of 5 African routes, including South Sudan - 16/09/2026 15:23
- ‘Super El Niño’ deepens hunger crisis in South Sudan – WFP - 16/09/2026 15:19
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan strategizes towards strengthening the health systems to improve the quality and coverage of immunization services - 12/11/2018 09:35
- Work resumes at Bor Hospital, strike called off - 02/11/2021 00:23
- South Sudan: Heed Global Call to End Death Penalty - Human Rights Watch - 20/12/2012 16:34
- Military: South Sudan Rebels Set Eyes on Capital - 01/01/2014 19:48
- Lam Akol says extension of Kiir’s government is threat to democracy - 31/03/2015 22:24
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 149618 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 28116 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 25198 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 24466 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 22416 times
