Mr. President, South Sudan Football Needs More Than Social Media Moments

Mr. President, South Sudan Football Needs More Than Social Media Moments

Opinion by Emmanuel Patrick Laku Lo Floraublished via Sports Hunter South Sudan

Over the past few days, South Sudanese football followers have seen a series of videos and photos shared by the new President of the South Sudan Football Federation, Mr. Francis Amin. From TikTok clips juggling a ball, to photo ops with African football legend El Hadji Diouf, and handing a national team jersey to FIFA President Gianni Infantino — all of this has been widely posted on his personal and official social media accounts.

While it's good to see our leadership being active and visible during international football gatherings like the CAF Ordinary General Assembly, visibility must be backed by productivity.

South Sudan is not short on football passion. What we’re short on is structure, investment, and strategic leadership.

Mr. President, here’s what the football community wants to see:

Less TikTok, more talks. Who did we meet? What came out of those meetings? Were any bilateral agreements signed or new partnerships formed to benefit our domestic game?

Clear development commitments. What’s the plan for local leagues, grassroots programs, and training of coaches and referees? What systems are we putting in place to help our national teams compete on the continent?

Professional communication. Across the globe, federation presidents appear in the media to announce serious matters — infrastructure projects, funding, policy reforms — not casual content. This raises the profile and credibility of their office.

We are not saying media engagement is bad — in fact, we encourage transparency and connection with the public. But leadership in football, especially in a developing country like ours, must focus on outcomes, not optics.

Football has the power to unite and uplift our nation. But it can only do so if those in charge treat it as a national priority, not a personal brand opportunity.

Mr. President, the ball is in your court. Use this momentum not just to promote yourself, but to push for real progress. Let the next viral moment be the signing of a major partnership, the launch of a youth development initiative, or the announcement of a national football strategy.

South Sudanese football fans are watching — and more importantly, we are hoping. Hoping for leadership that delivers.