By Emmanuel Patrick Laku | Sports Hunter South Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan — The boy climbed the fence with a Sudanese flag waiting on the other side. For his mother and grandmother, the few seconds that followed felt longer than a football match.
The family had fled Sudan because of the conflict and found refuge in Juba, South Sudan. On this evening, they came to Juba National Stadium to watch Sudan’s national team — a rare opportunity to see their country represented in the city where they now live.
Then the boy climbed.
His grandmother stood nearby, holding the Sudanese flag in her hands. His mother spotted him and tried to reach him, but the distance was too great. Between them stood the grandmother, watching as the boy prepared to make the jump.
01 — THE CLIMB
A Sudanese boy climbs a metal fence at Juba National Stadium as his grandmother holds the Sudanese flag. His mother notices him and reaches towards him, but she is too far away to stop him.
02 — THE WAIT
The family looks towards the spot where the boy intends to jump. For a moment, football disappears. Their attention is fixed entirely on him.
03 — THE LEAP
The boy jumps. Fear appears on the faces of his mother and grandmother as they watch, waiting for the moment when they will know he is safe.
04 — RELIEF
He lands safely. His mother breaks into a smile after confirming that her son is unharmed. His grandmother, still holding the flag, prepares to give it to him.
05 — THE FLAG
The boy takes the Sudanese flag in both hands and runs with a smile on his face.
For a child whose family has been forced to leave home, the flag becomes more than something to wave at a football match. It is a small, tangible connection to the country they left behind.
06 — TOGETHER AGAIN
The mother and grandmother smile as the tension of the previous moments disappears. For the family, the stadium becomes a place of happiness — if only for one evening.
07 — A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
The boy poses proudly, giving a thumbs-up while holding the Sudanese flag, alongside Sudanese football legends James Joseph (white T-shirt) and Richard Justin (2nd left), and national team players Mustafa Mohammed (left), Yasir Mozamil (11) and Mano (17).
He smiles for the camera.
Around him are players who carry Sudan's colours on the pitch and a family carrying the memory of home away from it.
For thousands of Sudanese displaced by conflict, Juba has become a place of refuge.
For this family, football offered something different: a chance to stand close to their national team, hold their flag and feel, for a few hours, connected to home.
The final score was Sudan 1–0 Ethiopia.
But for this boy, his mother and grandmother, the most memorable story of the night was written beyond the pitch — in a climb, a jump, a flag and three generations sharing a moment of joy far from home.
