January 2 – The Somali capital Mogadishu has swapped the sound of gunfire for the cheers of fans as tens of thousands of supporters hailing from various corners of the nation converged for the Somali Inter-State football tournament.
This year’s event, launched with great fanfare on December 29 at Stadium Mogadishu, symbolises a compelling departure from the city’s violent history.
The fortnight-long tournament sees all matches played the stadium, whose history is a reflection of the unrest and chaos that has frequently engulfed Somalia..
Built in 1977, the stadium was closed in 1991 when civil war broke out and from 1993 to 1995. The stadium housed US troops and then Pakistani military who were part of the unsuccessful UN peace keeping mission in Somalia.
Reopened at the end of 1995, Stadium Mogadishu was closed again in 2004. From 2007-2009, the stadium was the main base for Ethiopian troops who entered the country to help the Somali government defeat the once powerful Islamic Courts Unions, but by the end of January 2009, the national facility came into the hands of Al Shabaab who were based at the stadium until they were forced to flee the capital on 6 August 2011.
The stadium stayed in military use, as African Union Peace keepers in Somalia (AMISOM) took over and Al Shabaab vacated. Finally AMISOM left the stadium on 28 August 2018.
The stadium was returned to football use in 2021.
Galmudug State and Hirshabelle State battled to a 1-1 draw in Friday’s opening match of the event, which is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Federal Government of Somalia with the Somali Football Federation playing a facilitation role.
Somali Football Federation president Ali Abdi Mohamed, emphasised that the annual Inter-State football tournament strengthens peace in the country and promotes love and friendship among people in different regions.
“It is our duty to promote the game and we are doing it. Using football as a tool to strengthen peace and stability is our strategy which has so far been successful and thanks to the president of the nation Dr. Hassan Sheik Mahmoud, who has been in the front lines for more than a year to create the peaceful atmosphere we are enjoying nowadays,” said Ali Abdi Mohamed.
“Another objective for organising the Inter-State tournament is to create a platform for the young Somali talents in abroad, so they can integrate with their brothers who live in the country. This year the competition is different from the previous editions as participating teams recruited young talents from across Europe. This has also made the event more competitive.”
The prime minister of the federal government, Hamza Abdi Barre, was invited to kick the first ball to inaugurate the launch of the tournament, which was originally due to start on December 15 but had been postponed due to technical issues.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734871797labto1734871797ofdlr1734871797owedi1734871797sni@g1734871797niwe.1734871797yrrah1734871797