The 2026-27 South Sudan Premier League will begin on Saturday, 22 August, with the South Sudan Football Federation (SSFF) confirming the fixtures for the opening round of the domestic campaign.
The federation’s Competitions Committee has released the official schedule to clubs, with the first round set to run until 13 December 2026.
The opening match will see El Merriekh SC face Munuki SC at the Buluk Playground in Juba, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 local time.
Most of the first-round matches will be staged at two venues – Buluk Playground and Juba National Stadium – as South Sudan’s top-flight clubs begin their campaign.
The fixture list was issued in an official circular signed by SSFF Secretary General Adv. Bak Athian Bak and sent to the secretaries of the participating Premier League clubs.
The federation has also built several breaks into the domestic calendar to accommodate international and continental football.
The first scheduled interruption comes in September, when clubs involved in the first preliminary round of CAF inter-club competitions are expected to be in action.
The first legs are scheduled for 4-9 September, followed by second-leg matches between 11 and 13 September.
The domestic competition will then pause again during the FIFA international window from 21 September to 6 October, when teams will be involved in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying programme.
Another international break is scheduled for 9-17 November for further AFCON qualifying matches.
The arrangement is intended to allow the domestic league to operate alongside South Sudan’s international commitments and the participation of its clubs in continental competition.
The SSFF has instructed all clubs to study the newly released schedule and begin preparations for the opening round.
That includes ensuring their squads and logistical arrangements are ready ahead of the first matches on 22 August.
The release of the fixtures gives clubs a clear timetable for the opening months of the season and allows teams to plan around the scheduled international interruptions.
For El Merriekh SC and Munuki SC, attention will turn immediately to the opening fixture at Buluk Playground, which will officially launch the new Premier League campaign.
The first round will then continue through the following months before concluding on 13 December.
The timing of the season means South Sudan’s domestic clubs will have to manage a demanding calendar that includes league football alongside possible CAF commitments and international breaks.
The federation’s decision to publish the schedule ahead of the opening match also gives participating clubs time to organise their preparations.
South Sudan’s Premier League remains an important part of the country’s domestic football structure, while the international windows provide an opportunity for the national team to compete in the qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The SSFF’s schedule therefore attempts to balance the needs of domestic clubs with the wider demands of South Sudanese football.
With the opening fixture now confirmed, the countdown to the 2026-27 season has entered its final days.
El Merriekh SC and Munuki SC will have the honour of playing the first match of the campaign, while the rest of the league prepares to follow from 22 August.
