El Merriekh Coach Admits Side Was “Lucky” After Draw With Bajur FC in Konyokonyo League Opener

 El Merriekh Coach Admits Side Was “Lucky” After Draw With Bajur FC in Konyokonyo League Opener

JUBA, Sept 15, 2025 – El Merriekh FC head coach Richard Olari Orji admitted his side was “lucky” to walk away with a point after a hard-fought draw against newly promoted Bajur FC in the opening match of the 2025/26 Juba Football Association First Division League, popularly known as the Konyokonyo League.

The match, played on Monday evening at the Bulluk Playground in Juba, saw Bajur FC mark their top-flight debut in style, pushing El Merriekh to the limit throughout the contest.

In his post-match interview, Coach Olari praised the intensity of the newcomers while criticizing his own team’s complacency:

“It was a tough game, and a nice game. This is what we were not expecting. As a new team coming from another division, I was sure they would give us a good fight. They wanted to prove to people they are not here by mistake. We underrated them, and I paid for it dearly. Although we are lucky to get a point, we’ll take it from here and work on it more.”

El Merriekh FC, who finished 7th last season, came into the fixture as favorites, but Bajur FC – promoted from the second division last season – showed no signs of nerves as they battled for every ball.

The result sets the tone for what promises to be a competitive Konyokonyo League season, with Bajur announcing their arrival among the big boys in Juba football.