By Emmanuel Patrick Laku | Sports Hunter South Sudan
In football, a name on an official team sheet is more than a line of text. It can carry responsibility for a result, a reputation and a career. That is why the appearance of Dr. Sally Lo Laku’s name as head coach of South Sudan’s U20 national team in the CAF Competition Management System (CMS) has raised questions during the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CECAFA Zone, in Tanzania.
The issue surfaced after CECAFA published a post-match video featuring South Sudan assistant coach Marial following the team’s 4–0 defeat to Burundi. The caption accompanying the video identified Dr. Sally Lo Laku as the head coach.
Yet John Alier is currently with the team in Tanzania and carrying out the head-coaching duties.
The discrepancy is difficult to ignore, and it leads to a simple question:
Who put Dr. Sally Lo Laku’s name into the system?
A source close to Dr. Sally told Sports Hunter South Sudan that the veteran coach was not consulted before his name and coaching credentials were allegedly used in the U20 registration process.
The source further claims that Dr. Sally did not authorise the use of his coaching licence.
Sports Hunter South Sudan has not independently established who entered the information into the CMS. The South Sudan Football Federation has yet to publicly explain who submitted the technical staff details or why Dr. Sally’s name appears in the official competition material.
THE LICENCE
The question becomes more significant because of the coaching qualifications involved.
Dr. Sally is understood to be the only coach among those in question who currently holds a CAF A Diploma, while Bilal Felix and Peter James are still undergoing their CAF A coaching courses.
According to the source, the coach currently leading the U20 team is eligible to perform the role with a CAF B Diploma. If that is the case, another question follows:
Why was Dr. Sally’s CAF A qualification entered into the CMS if he was not the coach leading the team—and was he asked for permission before his qualification was used? These are questions of process rather than personality.
A PREVIOUS CHAPTER
There is also a chapter from South Sudan’s recent CAF history that gives the discussion additional context. When El Merriekh SC Bentiu entered the CAF Champions League, Dr. Sally was brought into the technical setup alongside head coach Ramzi Sebit.
The club went on to defeat Gor Mahia 1–0 at Juba National Stadium before losing the return leg 5–1 in Nairobi.
Whatever the result of that campaign, the episode demonstrated the place qualified coaches can occupy within South Sudanese teams competing at CAF level.
It therefore raises a broader question: why was a coach holding a CAF A qualification not visibly part of the U20 technical leadership structure in Tanzania, while his name appears in the competition system as head coach?
THE COST OF A NAME
The significance of the issue is not limited to an administrative database. When a coach's name appears as the head coach of a national team, the public can reasonably associate that individual with the team's performances.
South Sudan's 4–0 defeat to Burundi therefore places an uncomfortable weight on a name that, according to the source, may have been entered without the coach's knowledge.
That is why the federation should clarify the record.
Who accessed the CMS?
Who submitted the technical-staff list?
Who entered Dr. Sally's name?
Was he consulted?
Did he authorise the use of his licence?
Who is officially registered as head coach?
And who is actually responsible for the team in Tanzania?
ACCOUNTABILITY
There is an important distinction between asking questions and making accusations.
Sports Hunter South Sudan is not asserting that the federation deliberately misused Dr. Sally's credentials. The circumstances require an explanation, and the federation is entitled to provide its account.
But if it is established that Dr. Sally's name or coaching licence was submitted without his knowledge or authorisation, then correcting the record should be only the first step.
Any demonstrable professional or reputational damage should be assessed, and an appropriate remedy, including compensation where justified, should be considered.
National-team football is built on public trust. That trust depends not only on what happens on the pitch, but also on the accuracy of what is recorded away from it.
A coach should not become responsible for a job merely because his name appears in a system, and a qualification earned through years of professional development should not become an administrative shortcut without transparency.
For now, one question remains unanswered:
