Football administrators from regions across the country have benefitted from a five-day training course which was part of the Somali Football Federation's 'spread the football' program.

Somali National League site [Gaadiidka FC] sponsored a colorful closing ceremony for the training course which was held at SYL hotel in the capital Mogadishu on Saturday 2^nd of January.

Somali Football federation secretary general, Hassan Mohamed Mohamud, who first addressed at the closing gathering, said that the course was intended to help boost the football administration knowledge and experience of the regional soccer office bearers.

"SFF is prioritizing to enhance the knowledge of regional administrators because an educated manager can have the power to develop their people and that is why we are giving the first priority to building up education” SFF secretary general Hassan Mohamed Mohamud told the closing ceremony. He said that the training course attracted a total of 21 football administrators from semiautonomous regional states of Somalia’s federal government.

End to the high level administration course, regional football officials have now the confidence and the knowledge to develop football in their respected regions with the help from Somali Football Federation.

After thanking the two instructors at the training course, Mrs. Zuhur Hashi Mohamed from the [Puntland State] sub-regional football committee said that attending such a course was a ‘double advantage’ for her.

"I benefitted much knowledge from this course. I also learned new friends and toured different sites” said Mrs. Zuhur. "We are only four women in this course, but I hope that Somali Football Federation will have produced a greater number of female football administrators in the country” she added.

On her side, Ayaan Abdirahman Ibrahim from [South West Somalia semiautonomous state] said that she now knows how to manage football and was hopeful to practice what she learned when she is back to her region to help the promotion of football in the south western regions in the country.

"Knowledge is a key base for football development. At the end of this course, I feel I am completely different---this means I have learned more” she mentioned.

SFF senior vice president Ali Abdi Mohamed added that it was his federation’s policy to extend football knowledge throughout the country to help regional office bearers be able to play a key role in the country’s football promotion.

"As shown in our strategy, we plan to inaugurate the regional football leagues in 2016. Every regional state will have its own football league to be organized annually” the senior vice president told the closing ceremony.

Director General of the transportation ministry, Ali Ga’al whose ministry owns the Gaadiidka FC which sponsored the closing ceremony praised Somali Football Federation authorities for their continuous efforts to promote football in the country.

"I am very pleased that Gaadiidka FC one of the oldest clubs in Somalia has had the opportunity to sponsor this ceremony. We are also happy to meet with these young and active faces who came here to increase their football-related knowledge—we are always on your side in all your endeavors towards football development” said Mr. Ga’al whose Gaadiidka FC is one of the founding members of Somali Football Federation.

Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, said his federation was very grateful to sports ministers of the regional semiautonomous states of the federal government of Somalia. He said without their cooperation such a course wouldn’t have been successful.

The president thanked the two instructors who conducted the course: Mohamed Ahmed Tarabi and Ali Mohamed Ahmed for trying their best to teach the regional football office bearers how it sounds to be successful football administrators.

He encouraged the trainees to work hard regarding to football promotion after they are back to their regions. "We are hopeful you will practice what you have been taught” the president told the trainees during his address at the closing ceremony.

"Apart from the regional leagues, our 2016 plans include the organization of coaching and refereeing courses for all regions. And on your side we want you to play an important role so that we together can reach the level we are targeting” president Abdiqani Said Arab told the course participants before handing over the microphone to Somali National Olympic committee president Abdullahi Ahmed Tarabi.

The president said that the NOCSOM was jubilant at the successive activities by the Somali Football Federation, adding that the continued football development initiatives were helping public integration and progress in the country.

"Other sporting federations should follow Somali Football Federation’s footsteps” Somali National Olympic committee president Abdullahi Ahmed Tarabi noted before announcing the closure of the course.

Somali Football Federation Media Department

Emial:info@somsoccer.com