Somali Football Federation
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Somalia’s victorious U-17 football squad have warmly been received at Mogadishu airport by high profile sporting officials and football fans in what was described as the ‘biggest ever welcome ceremony’ for a Somali national team in more than 20 years.
The president of Somali National Olympic committee Duran Ahmed Farah, the Somali Football Federation president Ali Said Guuleed Rooble, executive committee members, club chairmen local league football players, referees, coaches and over tow thousands football fans were waiting at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde airport since before dawn on Sunday morning.
Scores of local and international journalists were also at the airport before time where they had interviews with the national team Coach Mohamed Abdulle Farayare, head of the delegation Ali Abdi Mohamed and members of the team including Mahmoud Abdi Nur who scored the golden goal for Somalia.
The Somali national Olympic committee Duran Ahmed Farah who talked to the media upon the team’s arrival at airport said that the tangible victory by the young shoulders was a significant mark that football in Somalia was on the way to a higher development.
“I am really very much cheerful with the result from Friday’s match in Khartoum which comes days after Somalia was promoted in FIFA world ranking—we hope to promote to a high position again” the Somali National Olympic committee president Duran Ahmed Farah told the media at Mogadishu airport on Sunday morning.
The president of Somali Football Federation Ali Said Guuleed Rooble for his part said that despite Somali youngsters are suffering from big insecurity and other problems in the country, then what happened in Khartoum on Friday makes him forget many problems in the past.
“Somali Football is on the way to a higher growth and development—what we need is the help from Somali community and in particularly the sponsorship by big business companies in Somalia, because football in every country goes ahead with sponsorship by companies in its country” the Somali Football Federation president told the media.
Somalia’s state minister for sport Abdullahi Sheik Ali told a gathering that his ministry will push the Somali government play a key role in the promotion of football in the country.
“After more than two decades of absence, I hope Somali government will have its role in the development of sport from today, because Somalia grew from transition to a premanent government” the state minister told the media at Mogadishu airport.
“The era of Somalia’s victories in football has now come---we have all to show a big support for our national team” Somalia’s well known comedian Abdi Muriidi Ajax told the well come ceremony.
However the victories U-17 members were then taken directly to the Somali Football Federation head quarters in the city centre.
Source: Somali Football Federation Media Department
Photos: BY Mohamed Shuriye