South Sudan coach Peter James has revealed the driving force behind his side’s push in the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.
James highlighted the Bright Stars’ pursuit of national pride as the reason for their eye-catching performances as they wrap up preparations for their first ever U-20 AFCON quarterfinal appearance against Gambia in Alexandria on Friday.
South Sudan, who are debutants in this tournament, made it to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams along with Benin. They finished third in Group B, four points behind Uganda and Congo.
James spoke about the difficulty of going up against Gambia, who have yet to concede a goal and also have a 100 percent record in the tournament.
“We’re going to play against The Gambia who won all their matches in the group stage but South Sudan is in this competition to have fun to learn but also to win,” he told CAF media.
“The Gambia is very strong with great players. We have 90 minutes to create an achievement, we want to give more pride to our country.
“We will play the match without pressure, without worrying about the result. We can surprise them but we have to be efficient.”
Likewise, Bright Stars’ forward Agumemboki Abishai also established his confidence in the team’s chances in the quarterfinals.
“We’re excited to meet The Gambia, the best team in Group C, one of the best teams in the competition,” Abishai said. “As a player, we like this kind of challenge.”
“We will fight to win and we want to play well. We are very well prepared.
“We will be up to it physically and mentally.”
South Sudan and the Young Scorpions will lock horns at the Haras El-Hodood Stadium at 3pm WAT.
