FIFA Training course for Somali football referees gets under way in Djibouti
FIFA MA training course for Somalia’s elite football referees has officially got
underway in Djibouti on Sunday morning. The course is part of the joint FIFA/ SFF
efforts intended to increase the knowledge and experience of referees in the war-torn
country.
Somali Football Federation Education officer and course coordinator Ali Mohamed
Ahmed who first addressed at the launching ceremony of the course explained that
SFF had spent a great deal of time and efforts in the process of preparing fit and
young age referees for the course.
“Here we have very talented referees including international and national levels,
most of them are young and this shows that SFF is committed to developing the referee
department from the bottom” education officer Ali Mohamed Ahmed told the ceremony.
Djibouti football federation senior vice president Mohamed Yasin welcomed the Somali
referees to his country telling them that Djibouti was their second homeland. “Feel
to be at home, whilst in Djibouti you are not guests or foreigners—I know most of
you know about that, but I am directing my speech to those who have never arrived
in Djibouti” the FDF senior vice president told the ceremony.
Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab indicated that
the SFF was always prioritising the development of its referee department, because
he said the referees are the backbone of most activities.
“On behalf of SFF I would like to thank FIFA for its continued efforts of helping
how football in Somalia would have achieved a tangible development—in the past FIFA
did all it could to protect Somali football from collapsing and that fruitful endeavour
became very successful, because Somali football was competing with the rest of the
world despite experiencing one of the most notorious civil wars and lawlessness
in the world for the past 22 years” secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab told the
ceremony.
He also praised the government of Djibouti, Football Federation officials and the
entire people of Djibouti for making everything in their capacity to help their
Somali brothers. “The bilateral cooperation between SFF and FDF is very mentionable”
secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab noted during his speech.
For his part Ahmed El Shenawi from FIFA referee development office in Cairo noted
that Somalia had done extra efforts in terms of referee development. “On behalf
of FIFA I am extremely happy with the young age and physically fit referees here
in front of me today” El Shenawi added.
Officials, referees and media personnel who came to cover the course all stood and
applauded when Ahmed El Shenawi told the opening ceremony that FIFA was hopeful
to organize such course in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu next year if the security
situation has fully developed.
Somali Football Federation President Ali Said Guled Roble praised the SFF referee
development department for coming up with young and strong people. “I encourage
you to show extra efforts and commitment during the course, know that poor attendance
or carelessness during the sessions will anger your instructors or will affect your
marks” SFF president Ali Said Guled Roble told the participants before announcing
the course was open.
The five-day course is being conducted by FIFA instructor Lim Kee Chong and fitness
instructor Boubakar Hanshi, while education officer Ali Mohamed Ahmed is coordinating
and SFF referee development office chief and local fitness instructor Abdi Abdulle
Ahmed will be assisting the FIFA instructors.
By: Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar