Speaking at a farewell ceremony held for Jubbaland State
team who won the 2017 edition of Somali Inter-State football tournament on the
evening of Saturday 23rd of December 2017, Somali Football
Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab emphasized that the time for Somalia
to organize its home games at home has arrived and 2018 will be a greater year
for the country.
"The situation in the country is changing and we are
moving from the long-standing lawlessness to peace and stability and due to the
betterment of the security situation in Somalia we have decided to stage our
home games at home” SFF president.
"Somali people have the right to watch their national team play at home and we have to make that happen now that the country is going ahead. 2018 will be a year of a big change for Somalia as we plan to invite national teams from some east African countries for friendly matches” the president said.
"The staging of friendly matches at home will pave the
way for the organization of CECAFA tournaments in Somalia. This will re-write
an age-old history” the president said.Somalia hosted its last international match in Mogadishu in 1990. The president’s announcement has hugely been appreciated
by the people of Somalia who haven’t seen international matches played in the
country for three decades.
Somali Football Federation (SFF) president, Abdiqani Said
Arab, commended the president of the federal government of Somalia, His
excellence Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre and the
minister for youth and sports Khadija Mohamed Diriye for their commitment to
the promotion of football in the country.
Meanwhile, the president called on local business
companies to invest in football and use the game as an advertising tool for the
commodities. "Tonight’s farewell ceremony for the winners of the
Inter-State football competition is financed by the Chamber of Commerce and
industries. This is a good step, but we
want the Chamber of Commerce and other business companies to be more open to
the game which also benefits them as it is a big drive for their business
promotion” Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab,
accentuated during his address.
Somali
Football Federation Media department
Email:info@somsoccer.com