OCEAN STARS OFF TO KAMPALA FOR CECAFA CUP
The Somali National football team ‘Ocean stars’ on Friday flew to Kampala where
they will participate in this year’s CECAFA senior challenge cup, according to Somali
Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab.
Mr. Arab told the media that the team was due to travel on Thursday but their trip
was postponed due to their plane which failed to arrive yesterday. “The Ocean stars
will have two week-training sessions in Kampala prior to the competition which will
start on November 24” Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab, noted.
“We have sent 21 member team, two coaches and head of the delegation to Kampala
today—7 other Somali footballers including two from UK, two from Holland, two from
USA and one from Kuwait will join the team tomorrow” the secretary General added.
“Somali Football Federation had done all efforts it could and we have prepared training
facilities for the team before the competition starts—Somalia is hopeful of good
outcome this year” SFF secretary General Abdi Qabi Said Arab told the media in Mogadishu
Friday.
He praised the efforts by the Somali football coaches outside the country who prepared
talented players. Those coaches include SFF administrative representative in UK
Abdi Olad Rage and coach Abdirashid Islow.
“Also the north America-based coaches are very mentionable for their endless efforts
in terms of promoting Somali football in their places” Mr Arab emphasized.
Somalia is experiencing one of the world’s most notorious civil wars for the past
two decades, but becomes the sole country that had never missed a single international,
continental or regional competition.
“Somalia is a football-loving nation in our region and it always makes CECAFA leaders
very happy, because Somalia never failed to show up for our competitions” CECAFA
secretary General Nicholas Musonye said in an interview last year.
By: Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar