Mogadishu, March 18, 2020 - Somalia will halt all sporting competitions in the country from Thursday, March 19, 2020, the minister for youth and sports, Honourable Khadija Mohamed Diriye, announced at a news conference.
The minister said that the move is one of several emergence measures by the federal government of Somalia which are meant to protect the lives of Somali nationals from the killer disease that has so far engulfed the lives of a large number of people across the world.
On his side, the president of Somali Football Federation, Abdiqani Said Arab, said that the possibility of halting competitions was raised at the SFF executive committee meeting held at the SFF headquarters on March 16, adding that with reference to the minister’s announcement all football competitions will stop from Thursday.
"The last football match was played on Wednesday and until further notice, no football competitions will be played in the country” reads a statement by Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, adding that the SFF gives the first priority to the safety and well-being of football fans.
Somali Football Federation Media Department
The minister’s announcement followed after the first Corona virus case was found in Somalia earlier in the week. The patient is said to be a
Somali national who returned from China, one of the high risk countries.
"This killer virus is causing a lot of problems in the
world and it is our responsibility to take care of our people. Social
distancing is vital in the fight against the spread of the disease and in my
capacity as the minister for youth and sport of the federal republic of
Somalia, I announce that all sporting competitions in the country will be
stopped from Thursday, March 19” the minister said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The minister said that the move is one of several emergence measures by the federal government of Somalia which are meant to protect the lives of Somali nationals from the killer disease that has so far engulfed the lives of a large number of people across the world.
On his side, the president of Somali Football Federation, Abdiqani Said Arab, said that the possibility of halting competitions was raised at the SFF executive committee meeting held at the SFF headquarters on March 16, adding that with reference to the minister’s announcement all football competitions will stop from Thursday.
"The last football match was played on Wednesday and until further notice, no football competitions will be played in the country” reads a statement by Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, adding that the SFF gives the first priority to the safety and well-being of football fans.
Somali Football Federation Media Department
Email:info@somsoccer.com