The world's newest sovereign state, South Sudan, will begin its long road to qualify for the 2021 African Cup of Nations on Oct. 7 with a match against the Seychelles. Remarkably, 12 of the 32-man squad will be making the journey of more than 7,000 miles from Australia to join coach Ashu Cyprian Besong and the rest of the national team in Khartoum to prepare for the two-legged preliminary round tie.

South Sudan's football history is a relatively short one. The Bright Stars' first international match...

While East Africa's nations have enjoyed great success in other sporting disciplines, the region's national football teams have largely failed to make a mark on the continent's soccer scene.

Kenya and Ethiopia have a plethora of elite long and middle-distance runners, Rwanda has its cycling sensations., Uganda boasts of a thriving motosports scene, while even South Sudan's roster of basketball stars grows every year.

East Africa is as sports mad and trophy-hungry as the rest of the continent, but...