Council of East & central Africa Football Association (Cecafa) has released an updated calendar of activities for the 2018 year.

They are as follows:

1. April 14th-2018(2018) on going in Burundi. (FIFA Forward Programme Competition)
2. May 12th – 22nd (2018) – Cecafa Women Challenge Cup in Rwanda. (FIFA Forward Programme Competition)
3. May 26th to June 3rd – (2018) CEcafa Beach Soccer in Uganda  (FIFA Forward Programme Competition)
4. June 30th to July 15th – (2018) CECAFA Club Cup Tournament in Tanzania.
5. August 11th – 25th (2018) CECAFA/CAF AFCON Qualifiers in Tanzania . (CECAFA/CAF) Competition
6. September 8th-22nd (2018) CECAFA Challenge Cup Under 20. (FIFA Forward Programme)
7. November (208) Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya

The council of East and Central Africa Football Associations [CECAFA] is very much pleased with the football progress in Somalia where the first live screened football match went on successfully today.

CECAFA Secretary General, Nicholas Musonye, has written to Somali Football Federation president congratulating him on the successful approach in the country. Today’s match was the first to be shown on TV screen live in Somalia’s football history.

‘Congratulations again to SFF for all the timely positive things you are doing in your country. We want to see a changed Somalia and more programs for our youth in our beautiful country” Secretary General, Nicholas Musonye, said in his congratulatory letter on Thursday.

“CECAFA stands with you always in all your efforts. The LIVE coverage is the beginning of greater things in your country, congratulations again” the regional Africa football boss mentioned in his letter.

The final match of the 2015 edition of the General Da’ud cup was broadcasted live on the Somali National Television and was facilitated by the privately-owned production company [Horn Connect].

The Somali military team [Horseed] lifted the trophy after beating their Somali police-owned Heegan FC rivals by 2-1 in the final match. Tens of thousands of spectators including key government officials were watching the match.

With messages of congratulations from around the world of football pouring into the Somali Football Federation office to felicitate the new SFF president Abdiqani Said Arab on his election as the president of SFFF, the vice president of CECAFA Mr. Lawrence Mulindwa has written to the president to show support for him,

In his letter which we received today, Mr. Mulindwa said “Brother Abdi Qani, your election to the office of the President of Somalia Football Federation [SFF] has been received with excitement within the CECAFA region and Uganda in particular”

“I therefore wish to congratulate you and the entire football family in Somalia upon conducting a very democratic and peaceful election that saw you sailing through unopposed”  Mr. Mulindwa said in his congratulatory letter.

He continuied to say “Your long time acquired expertise in football administration will automatically benefit the Somalis and help narrow the competition gap that has always existed between Somalia and other CECAFA member countries”

The CECAFA Vice president said that Somalia has the football talent and he therefore urged the president to strategise and develop these talents in order to improve the country’s performance at both regional and continental levels.

“My office will extend to you the possible assistance in your endeavours to turn Somalia into a great footballing nation. I once again congratulate you and please convey the same message to your executive and the entire Somali population” CECAFA vice president Lawrence Mulindwa concluded in his message.

CECAFA, the council of east and Central Africa Football Associations said that the election of Abdiqani Said Arab as the football Federation president of Somalia was a very good decision, praising the Somali Football stakeholders for their constructive decision making.

The secretary General of the regional Africa football governing body Mr. Nicholas Musone made the announcement in an interview with Football Journalist Mohamed Abdi Mudey.  The interview was conducted as follows:

Q: Mr. Nicholas Musonye, what is your general view about the election of Somali Football federation which brought a new president Abdiqani Arab into power?

A: Thank you very much my brother, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the congress of Somali Football Association for the peaceful elections and even electing Abdiqani Said Arab as the New President of the Federation, I have known Mr. Abdiqani for the last 24 years, as a hardworking person and honest and I believe he is experienced person, he has been in the football administration for a very long time.

He is also member of CECAFA executive committee working with us. I believe that the Somali people and the congress made a very good decision to elect him as the football federation president; I congratulate him and the people of Somalia.

Q: Do you think that Abdiqani Said Arab will lead Somali Football into more development in both locally and internationally in the years to come?

A: Obviously he has the knowledge and the capacity to lead Somali Football in the next four years and after and it is very sure that more success will be gained under his leadership.

Q: As you know Somalia has a historic football facility, the stadium Mogadishu which has been destroyed during civil wars and currently based by AU troops, what is your reaction about that?

A: I would like that the new leadership of Somali FA to work with the government on a way they can use the facility and if possible to relocate the AMISOM soldiers from the stadium.

Interviewed by Football journalist Mohamed Abdi Mudey