JUBA, South Sudan — Al Ghazala SC Wau head coach Rizig A. Hakim has praised the club’s administration, technical and support staff, players, and supporters following their 1–0 victory over El Merriekh SC Bentiu in the South Sudan Super Cup final.
The win gives Al Ghazala SC an early-season boost as they prepare for upcoming domestic and continental competitions, including the CAF Confederation Cup.
Speaking to the media after the match, Hakim described the victory as an important first step for the Wau-based club, while acknowledging the strong support from fans back home.
“I would like to say thanks to everybody who has been behind this project — the administration, the supporting staff, the technical staff, the fans and the people back home in Wau. They are following us and encouraging us. I’m happy. This is a good start, and then we start to count on this step by step,” Hakim said.
The coach also paid tribute to El Merriekh Bentiu, who entered the final as a formidable opponent after a successful previous season.
“Much respect first to Al-Merrikh because they had three titles last season. They had a distinctive performance and are the league title holders. We knew Al-Merrikh was a big opponent before us, so we gave them total respect and played based on what we have and our capabilities,” he explained.
Hakim’s tactical decisions in the second half drew attention, particularly the substitutions of Chan Peter and Abraham Suder as Al Ghazala managed the game to secure the narrow win.
Explaining the changes, the coach said the decisions were made in the best interest of the team’s overall performance.
“Chan wanted to stay, but he didn’t know what was inside our mind. We wanted to bring him out to also help the team. He helped for 65 minutes, so we brought in the other brothers to continue helping. It is normal — every player loves to play,” Hakim said.
The coach credited his players for their resilience after enduring intense training sessions and limited recovery time ahead of the final.
“The players have been enduring hard training and daily training. Recoveries between trainings are not always enough, but the players are very strong to endure and play this game the way they did.”
Attention now turns to Al Ghazala SC’s continental ambitions, with Hakim acknowledging that the CAF Confederation Cup will present a tougher challenge.
“That one is different. It needs a lot of energy and a lot of work. We just need to be patient and work, work, work,” he said.
Hakim ended by sending a message to Al Ghazala supporters, urging continued backing as the team builds momentum.
“Keep supporting, keep following us, keep helping us, please.”
The 1–0 South Sudan Super Cup victory gives Al Ghazala SC Wau a strong start as the club looks ahead to its next challenge on the continental stage.
Photo: Credit: Sanya
