Uganda International Viola Nambi Ssebunya has signed for Italian Serie A side Napoli Femminile

Nambi Ssebunya who was unveiled last week signed a two-year contract with the Naples based team that competes in the Italian Serie A Women League.

“I am very happy to join Napoli Femminile. I am ready to give my best in-order to help the team win titles,” says Nambi Ssebunya.

She previously played for Vaxjo DFF and Kalmar FF in the Swedish topflight league (Damallsvenskan) and Dornbirn Ladies in Austria. Nambi Ssebunya was part of the Uganda Crested Cranes squad at the 2022 Women’s Africa cup of Nations held in Morocco.

Ayubu Khalifah, one of the top women’s football coaches in Uganda says Ssebunya’s move is good for the player and Uganda.

“For her to play in a Women’s Serie A team means more exposure with competitive teams and also opening doors for other Ugandan women players,” added Khalifah.

The other Ugandan female players plying their trade with teams in Europe include; Phiona Nabbumba ( Boldklubben AF 1893, Denmark), Fauzia Najjemba (ZFK Dynamo Moscow, Russia), Ashiat Naluggwa ( Lindsey Wilson College, USA), Aisha Nantongo (Aalborg BK, Denmark) 2eqwaand Vanessa Karungi (FC Nordejælland) among others.

The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit and Gianni Infantino, the FIFA President have today inaugurated the Juba National Stadium.

Fifa under the FIFA Forward programme funded the refurbishment of the 7,500 seater Stadium based in the center of Juba Town.

Kiir and Infantino inaugurated the Stadium in-front of close to 5,000 people ahead of a FIFA World Cup qualifier match between South Sudan and Sudan, which the visitors later won 3-0 .

” We thank the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir and the government, and FIFA under the leadership of Infantino for  the support in seeing this dream come true to have this Stadium today that we are ready to start hosting international matches, ” Augustino Maduot Parek, the President of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA).

FIFA President Infantino also thanked the government of South Sudan and the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) for the good work in developing Football. “This is a great occasion. It is a great opportunity to showcase South Sudan, to showcase the youth of this country, which has so much talent, and it’s our joint responsibility to give this talent an opportunity. Now, this talent, when it comes to football, has the opportunity to play in a brand-new national stadium, which FIFA has been contributing, but it has been a teamwork of all of us to build. And today, we have a beautiful jewel here in South Sudan,” added the FIFA President.

The other dignitaries who attended the inaugural ceremony included the FIFA General Secretary Mattias Grafström, Davis Ndayisenga, the Head of the FIFA Development Office in Kigali, CECAFA President Wallace Karia and his Executive Director John Auka Gecheo. The FA President of Ethiopia Esayas Jira also attended the function.

South Sudan was officially admitted as a CAF member on 10th, February 2012 at the 34th CAF Ordinary General Assembly hosted in Libreville, Gabon, and admitted as a FIFA member on 25th, May 2012 at the second session of the 62nd FIFA Congress hosted in Budapest, Hungary.

The President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Wallace Karia will be one of the dignitaries during the inaugural ceremony of the refurbished Juba National Stadium on June 11th, 2024.

” We are glad that finally the Stadium will be inaugurated and after a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match will take place at the same Stadium between South Sudan and Sudan, said

Augustino Madut, President of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA).

Madut, who is also the Vice President of CECAFA confirmed that Karia together with the Executive Director John Auka Gecheo had arrived in Juba for the ceremony.

The President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir and the FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF Director of Member Associations, Sarah Mukuna are among the other dignitaries expected to grace the ceremony.

FIFA through the FIFA Forward program funded the refurbishment of the Juba National Stadium. The Stadium, a 7,000 seater will host an International match after five years.

Peter Maker Manyang Mabok, captain of the South Sudan national team (Bright Star) during the press conference on Monday made it clear that it is a sweet feeling that they will finally play in-front of the home fans. ” We are happy and looking forward to playing in-front of our fans and work hard to make them happy with a good result, ” added the midfielder.

South Sudan are currently placed 5th in Group B with 2 points after their two draws with Togo and Mauritania, and a defeat to Senegal in their opening match last year.

The President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Aleksander Ćeferin has arrived in Uganda on a 2-day visit.

Ćeferin who arrived on Sunday with a group of over 200 people makes his second return to Uganda under the invitation of the Aliguma Foundation Sports & Empowerment Center (AFSEC).

The UEFA President will feature in a charity match with the UEFA Legends team against the Uganda Parliament Team on Monday at the St. Marys Stadium, Kitende.

The proceeds from the charity match will contribute to supporting the Boy and Girl-Child. Ćeferin is also expected to visit some soccer Academies and later travel over 200 kms to the town of Masindi at the Aliguma Foundation Sports & Empowerment Center (AFSEC) in Kinuuma Village- Bigando Parish, Miirya Sub-County.

Here, Čeferin will witness the foundation’s significant impact across the country and officially commission the works of the training soccer pitch. Slovenia FA President Radenko Mijatović is also part of the team that traveled with the UEFA President.

In 2019 Aliguma Foundation received a grant from the UEFA Foundation for Children from a global as part of those academies picked for the Sports For Resilience & Empowerment Project (SREP).

Last year, Aliguma Foundation secured a second grant, showcasing UEFA’s satisfaction with the effective utilization and accountability of the initial funding.