SATURDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2026 · SPORT
Blind Football Team Faces Funding Deadline as Yakani Appeals for $75,000
The appeal concerns participation in a Cairo championship; no confirmed funding release was available for this edition.
JUBA — Activist Edmund Yakani has appealed for US$75,000 to help South Sudan’s national blind football team participate in an African Division One championship in Cairo, Eye Radio reports. He identifies 1 November as the participation deadline.
Yakani says a shortage of funding could prevent the team from attending and has called on government, businesses and supporters to help. The account describes the Bright Stars as the previous African Division Two champions. The appeal is a request for support, not confirmation that funds have been raised.
As of preparation of this edition, SSP had no verified payment confirmation, travel notice or updated statement from the organisers. It would therefore be premature to announce that participation has been secured or that the team has definitively withdrawn.
The immediate sporting issue is time: entry, travel and team preparation require a clear decision. An itemised budget and a verified point of contact would help prospective supporters understand what the requested amount covers without relying on informal collection messages.
Yakani also frames the issue as one of disability inclusion. That is his advocacy position. A useful official response would explain how this request is being assessed and how support for different national teams is allocated.
Any update should distinguish pledges from money received and money received from completed travel arrangements. This report does not publish a fundraising account or collect money. The next essential facts are the team’s confirmed status, the organiser’s deadline and whether approved support has actually been released.
Sources and reporting basis
Prepared from available material for this edition. Follow-up questions identify reporting priorities; they have not been sent as requests by SSP.