JUBA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's football governing body on Wednesday announced the appointment of German-born Algerian, Ahcene Ait-Abdelmelek as the new head coach of the Bright Stars, the country's national football team.
The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) said in a statement that Abdelmelek will succeed current caretaker manager Bilal Felix after signing a one-year-deal.
SSFA said the new coach will arrive in the country next week where he will be tasked with preparing the East African nation for their upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Mali in September.
"The SSFA board of directors had a meeting, with several key decisions being made. Firstly, the board has chosen German-Algerian coach Abdelmalek as the new head coach of the Bright Stars after a thorough selection process," the SSFA said on its official Facebook page.
Abdelmalek previously coached the Burundi national team, Mali's Djoliba AC as well as clubs in Europe.
He becomes the fourth foreign coach to handle the world's youngest nation's football team after South Korea's Lee Sung-Jea, Serbian Zoran Dordevic and Uganda's Leo Adraa.
