John Kuol clocked the entire 90 minutes as the Bright Stars of South Sudan put up a spirited performance in the first leg of AFCON U- 23 round one qualifier match played in Uganda’s capital Kampala. Described as underdogs before the fixture, the bright stars surprised many by keeping Uganda at bay up to the 91^st minute where they conceded a penalty which was successfully converted to have the game end at 1-0.

The result means that South Sudan are still very much in the tie heading into the return set to be played in Juba.

It was a special moment for our defender John Kuol as he represented his country for his very first time and he couldn’t hide his delight,

“I feel really good to put on this jersey. This is a moment I have dreamed of for such a long time. I have linked up with a new coach and a few new guys and it’s a special feeling.”

Kuol, who was named captain of the side, was full of praise for his teammates for the confidence that they showed away from home,

“Today was good performance. We were comfortable on and off the ball; we stay solid and never panicked. Our game plan worked quite very well against a very good side. Everybody worked hard, we all motivated each other and thus we did well.”

He also stated that they will be going for a win in Juba where he believes it possible to beat any side as long as the team keeps the belief,

“We were unfortunate to concede that late in the game but that doesn’t rule us out. 1-0 is a score line that we can overturn and we shall be seeking to do so. We have a chance because I believe in the squad which was chosen and I know we have the ability to deliver. We just got to believe.”

The Bright Stars will have to beat the Ugandan Kobs by a two goal margin without conceding or a three goal margin if they concede for them to progress to the next round where Tunisia awaits the winner.