What happened at Aweil’s Martyrs Cup Final Tournament in Juba was a clear violation of sportsmanship!
Ateny Wek Ateny, Former Press Secretary of President Kiir
By Ateny Wek Ateny (Atenydior), Juba, South Sudan
Tuesday, 18 July 2023 (PW) — I promised my esteemed readers an hour or so ago that I would feed them the details about what transpired during the-now- chaotic tournament of Aweil’s Martyrs Cup tournament in Buluk, Juba, South Sudan. I have neither been a football fan nor will I become one.
However, I am not ignorant of how football works. If any, I watched the World Cup, the African Cup of Nations and the European Nations Cup, which came once in 2/4 years. Hence, my general knowledge of football. So, let me comment on what I hoped would be transparent and informed.
I received my invitation from the Chairperson of Confluence of Aweil Athletes in Juba to attend the final tournament of Aweil’s Martyrs Cup as Chief Guest, which I accepted without reservation. The final tournament was to be played by Aweil North County FC and Pibor AFC – the supposedly guest to the NBGS Confluence of Athletes in Juba, which organized the tournament.
I am oblivious to the other details as to how the two teams reached the final. I never attended any football tournaments in Juba.
Notwithstanding, I arrived at the venue in Buluk Football playground today at 3:02 pm, July 16th, 2023, together with the Patron of the Day, in the person of Dr Albino Bol Dhieu, the Minister of Youth & Sports, to the crowd jubilation. I was excited as I was to speak on the football field for the first time in my life, in the wake of witnessing the final football tournament.
At the start of the first half, I was surprised our boys, both from Aweil North and Pibor AFC, had reached this level. I thought I was watching football in Europe if I wasn’t kept reminded by the backward seating area and a basic level of broadcasting the names of players.
I was happy and exceedingly thrilled. I thought I shouldn’t support any side as a fan because the responsibility given to me meant I was for all – in spite of how I was emotionally invested inside me as Ateny Pioker from Aweil.
The Pibors scored first in the first half, which the Aweil North quickly and professionally equalized. Given how they dominated the football, there was hope the Aweil North would be clearly a winner. The first half ended professionally 1-1 for Aweil North FC and Pibor AFC to delight the guests and football fans from both sides.
Then came the second half, which also went well until 3 minutes before the end of two halves. In any event, it was going to be through penalties if they were to equalize through the last half because it was getting to the dust. Nevertheless, Pibor FC scored 3 minutes into the full tournament. I was excited either way, anyhow. Then, the hell broke loose.
For me, I knew the Aweil North FC’s boys lost, and the cup was going to go to Pibor. However, the fans from Pibor decided to get into the field in an attempt to celebrate their wins. It should have been less than a minute- or so, the legal time approved by FIFA for the celebration of players with their fans when they score.
Alas, the celebration took longer – which Aweil North FC’s fans saw as an affront to their integrity. The fans from Aweil thought the last goal was a handball which should have been a penalty in favour of Aweil North AFC if the goal was disallowed as done in normal circumstances.
Unfortunately, the Referee allowed the last goal, which was thought to be handball, making Pibor AFC the would-be winner against Aweil North FC with 2-1 for Pibor AFC. Then, the Aweil North FC fans, which encompassed the entire Aweil Community in Juba, broke onto the football field, and the rains of stones started pouring on us.
We weren’t harmed. We were evacuated, together with the Minister of Youth – thanks to our able bodyguards who flanked our cars in case there was to be a gunshot. Nobody is fully certain as to whose stones that were raining. Were there Pibor AFC fans’ stones alongside that of Aweil’s fans, or not? It is the almighty God who can judge it.
Lastly, if the people of Aweil – given their disapproval of the last goal, were the ones who took the law into their own hands, then it is too unfortunate. This time, we weren’t represented correctly in the face of what we have been known to be a peaceful society. Peace always comes with civilization. Peace comes when we recognize our differences and respect them.
Commonalities are the strength of society, but differences are also our weaknesses which we cannot do without them as humans. I was thinking the people of Aweil were law-abiding citizens until I saw this today.
The peace we have in Aweil must only be meaningful if and when others find solace in it. We can’t go this low when the Chair and some members of the committee of football complaints were sitting in the field as witnesses in the tournament.
I am not proud today. I am still shocked and in disbelief at what happened today. Next time, we need to talk as people of Aweil before the final tournament is rescheduled. Otherwise, there is nothing our new generations can continue to be proud of.
We shouldn’t be talking about peace that we don’t maintain when we are outside Aweil’s boundaries. I rest my case here. The rest is for other witnesses of today’s chaotic tournament to ponder.
The writer is the Former Press Secretary in the Office of the President; however, the views expressed here are his own and do not represent his former employer’s views. He was just an eyewitness, reachable through his email: atenypiokerwek@gmail.com
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