By CRN News Desk
The Secretary of the Yambio Local Football Federation, Olal Joseph, was reportedly assaulted and injured by a security steward from Steward Company following a disagreement over unpaid dues linked to the recently concluded Yambio Inter-Area Football Tournament.
The incident occurred shortly after the final match on Sunday, where Naduru defeated Baiporu to win the championship. According to eyewitnesses, the altercation began when a steward identified as Barnaba confronted officials over delayed payments, claiming he had not been compensated for his services during the tournament.
In a phone interview with the Catholic Radio Network, the Chairperson of the Inter-Area Tournament Committee, Joseph Apai Archangelo, confirmed the incident, blaming the behavior on alcohol and personal frustration.
“The person who came and assaulted the officer is from Steward Department… he was drunk and from nowhere, he just appeared at the Freedom Square.”
Apai explained that the organizing committee had declared Monday as a rest day following the tournament and planned to begin settling payments on Tuesday. He said the attacker was neither a leader nor an official representative of the stewarding team.
“Mr. Barnaba is not the Chairperson, Treasurer, or Secretary of the Steward Department. He just acted on his own,” Apai said.
He added that the individual’s behavior was likely influenced by alcohol and dissatisfaction with the tournament’s outcome, as Barnaba is reportedly from the area whose team lost in the final.
The injured official, Olal Joseph, is currently receiving treatment at Yambio State Teaching Hospital, while the suspect has been placed in police custody. The Catholic Radio Network could not reach State Police Commissioner Philip Madut Tong for comment.
Unofficial sources indicate the tournament’s organizing committee had allocated SSP 5 million for the winners, SSP 3 million for the runners-up, and SSP 1.5 million for the third-place team. Reports also suggest an additional SSP 30 million was contributed by the State’s acting governor, alongside financial contributions from local areas in Yambio.
Authorities in Western Equatoria State have been urged to launch a formal investigation into the incident and provide transparency regarding the tournament’s financial arrangements.