January 21 – The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has continued with its regeneration of football in the country with the return of its Futsal Championship after a 15-year gap caused by the civil war and terrorism that plagued the country.
Last March saw the first official match ever played by Somali women. The futsal match saw the SWF women’s football team defeated their rivals SSC 3-1.
Men’s futsal returned last weekend with Al-Zukhri futsal team winning the first futsal championship at Waberi district’s futsal ground. A 1-1 stalemate during the normal time, Al-Zukhri won 3-2 after a penalty shootout.
The Somali Futsal championship attracted 15 teams and was played over a month.
The president of the SFF, Ali Abdi Mohamed, attended the final with vice president, Yusuf Hussein Mumin. Abdi Mohamed said he will make sure there is an increase in futsal tournaments in the country.
“The revival of futsal championship is something that I have been having in mind for a long time, but thanks to God we have been able to organize the futsal championship. All matches of the competition were played at night times as the security situation has improved in the capital city,” said Abdi Mohamed.
“As futsal is now on track and fully revived, our next step is to get beach soccer activities back, because our people love football more than any other sport. Football has played a key role in our country’s peace building, youth integration and development in many sectors including the business sector,” the SFF president added
Somalia football has seen the total destruction of the country’s football facilities as a result of he civil war, The local federation on FIFA, CAF and the international Olympic Committee, with the Somali government unable to contribute to the country’s sport.
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