“I love to train all the young teams, but working with the girl’s team is very rewarding for me,” says Taban. “It’s not only about empowering girls with football skills. It also encourages them to continue their education and to refuse early or forced marriages.”

Even more impressive—three female footballers have successfully progressed from this small community club to larger ones representing South Sudan in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations.

Running sports programmes aren’t without their challenges. There’s a severe lack of funds for equipment, facilities and even uniforms. Maintenance of the football field, which is constantly flooded during the long rainy season, is another issue.

But such is the social impact of the Hyper FC, that most of the club’s patrons, including civil servants who haven’t been paid for a year—still contribute fees from their meagre savings.

“I hope community members, the police and youth continue supporting our activities,” concludes Yakani.

“It’s clear that sport has helped reduce crime, substance abuse, and positively influenced behaviour and attitudes among our youth. It is giving them a better future to look forward to.”