NEWS
We need to work together to develop Football in Somalia, says Ali Abdi Mohamed
Newly elected President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF), Ali Abdi Mohamed has called for team work and togetherness inorder to develop football in the country.
“Football is one sport that will bring all the people in the country together. I call upon everyone to be together and work towards football development in Somalia,” said Ali Abdi Mohamed after he was declared new President of SFF during a General Assembly held at Elite Hotel in Mogadishu on Wednesday.
The Electoral Committee of the Elections headed by Lawyer and co-funder of avvocate firm, Isak Abdullahi Hassan declared Ali Abdi Mohamed as the new President after he was voted unopposed with all the 34 delegates present voting yes. 12 delegates did not attend the Elective Assembly.
The Assembly started with the SFF General Secretary Yusuf Mohudin Ahmed taking roll call. The Assembly that consists of 46 delegates had 34 members present.
The SFF General Assembly had failed to take place in November last year and early this month. But after several meetings that included several government officials, the Assembly was given green light to take place on February 22nd, 2023.
The new President also made it clear that anyone with grievances should always approach the executive for dialogue. “The Football community always needs to be together,” he added.
He said they will now start by preparing the national U-17 team that qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations U-17 to take place in Algeria. “October 15th, 2022 was a historical day when we won the U-17 CECAFA title and qualified for the U-17 AFCON for the first time,” added Ali Abdi Mohamed.
Executive Committee of the Somali Football Federation:
Ali Abdi Mohamed (President), Ahmed Farah Takal (1st Vice President, Abdirashid Abdulle Mohamed (2nd Vice President), Yusuf Hussein Mumin (3rd Vice President).
Committee Members: Yaxye Mohamed Abukar, Fahmo Kulle Ali (Women representative), Omar Mohamud Nor, Abukar Islow Hassan, Mohamed Ali Isse, Bashir Salad Bare, Abdikani Abdullahi Abow
Sudan’s Al Hilal SC have been drawn against Burundi Premier League champions Aigle Noir CS in the first preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
The draw was conducted on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.
The 2025/2026 quarter finalists Al Hilal SC will play the first leg in Burundi between September 4-6th, and later hosts their return leg in Kigali between September 11-13th.
Incase they go past the first hurdle, Sudan’s Al Hilal SC will then face the winner between Aigloms FC N’Djamena (Chad) and Sidaama Buna FC (Ethiopia).
“The CECAFA Kagame Cup has given us good preparations ahead of the CAF Champions League,” says Al Hilal SC head coach Guy Bukasa Misakabu.
South Sudan Premier League champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu will also make a return to the competition when they face Heegan SC (Somalia), while Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) take on Pyramids FC (Egypt) in the first preliminary round.
Uganda’s Vipers SC will take on Mauritania’s giants FC Nouadhibou, APR FC (Rwanda) face Les Aigles Du Congo, while Young Africans SC (tanzania) play Botswana’s Gaborone Utd FC.
The three highest-ranked clubs earned a bye through the first preliminary round: South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance and Renaissance Berkane.
The second preliminary round follows a similar pattern. First legs fall between 16 and 18 October, and the return matches take place from the 23rd to the 25th.
Fresh from taking part in the CECAFA Kagame Cup, Mogadishu City Club FC will face Kitara FC (Uganda) in the first preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
The two teams were drawn together during the official draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.
Mogadishu City Club who will host their matches in Nairobi, Kenya will play the first leg at home before traveling to Uganda. The first leg matches will take place September 4-6th, while the return legs are slated for September 11-13th.
The winner between the Ugandan team and Mogadishu City Club will face African giants Al Ahly SC in the second preliminary in October.
Sudan’s Al Hilal Alsahii and Walwalo Adigrat USC (Ethiopia) will also face off, with the winner facing the winner between KMKM SC (Zanzibar) and Al Ahly Tripoli in the second preliminary round.
Tanzania Premier League side who were exempted from the first preliminary round will face the winner between ZED FC (Egypt) and ASAS Djibouti Tel.
Rwanda’s Rayon Sport FC who are in the CECAFA Kagame Cup final on Friday will tussle it out with Pathere Sportive FC in the first round, while Burundi’s Rukinzo FC take on Durban City FC (South Africa) in the first preliminary round.
Two other matches involving teams from the CECAFA Zone will see Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) face Tusker FC (Kenya), while South Sudan’s Al-Ghazala SC battle Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania).
The Second Preliminary Round will begin from October 16-18, before the decisive return legs are staged from October 23-25.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has requested to host the CECAFA Challenge Cup 2027.
Paulous Weldehaimanot Andermariam, President of the President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has reveled that they are in talks with Kenya about the Challenge Cup.
“Kenya has already requested us to host the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup which they also want to use to launch one of their new Stadiums,” says Andermariam.
He made it clear that they are working hard to ensure that the Senior Challenge Cup returns because it is the biggest tournament in the Zone for national teams. “We need to return back the Senior Challenge Cup and also find sponsors,” added the CECAFA President.
Andermariam explained that it has been difficult to organize the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in the past years because of congested local and International calendars.
The last CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup was held in Uganda where the hosts defeated Eritrea in the final.
The CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup is Africa’s oldest regional football tournament, organized by CECAFA for national teams in East and Central Africa. It evolved from the Gossage Cup (1926) and Challenge Cup (1967) before becoming the modern CECAFA Kagame Cup Cup in 2002.
South Sudan International Lazarus Peter George Laku has signed for Swedish giants IFK Göteborg.
The gifted youngster who was top scorer in the CECAFA U-15 tournament three years ago signed a five-year contract.
Laku, aged 18-year first captured International eyes after dominating the CECAFA youth tournaments and earning his senior Bright Star debut at just 16.
He transitioned from his pre-contract agreement into a long-term professional deal with the two-time UEFA Cup champions.
Laku started playing Football at School in Juba and later joined the Future Stars Football Academy that continued to nature his talent.
“Join us in wishing Lazarus Peter the absolute best of luck as he takes the Allsvenskan by storm,” said a communication by the the South Sudan Football Federation (SSFF).
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