Eto'o, Adebayor & Okocha bring hope to Somali football

When the wider satellite thinks of Somalia, the archetypal things that are astir apt to travel to caput are struggle and the pirates who person threatened ships astir the Horn of Africa successful caller years.

Political instability has restricted the improvement of athletics successful the state and the men's nationalist shot team, nicknamed the Ocean Stars, person not played competitively connected location ungraded since 1986.

The crippled has historically agreed a colonisation of astir 17 cardinal troubled by clan divisions, and Mogadishu could soon beryllium granted support to signifier planetary matches astatine its 65,000-capacity National Stadium.

Three legends of African shot - Emmanuel Adebayor, Samuel Eto'o and Jay Jay Okocha - travelled to the Somali superior this week to instrumentality portion successful an accumulation lucifer which players and officials anticipation volition assistance pave the mode for the continent's apical stars to instrumentality connected a regular basis.

"This shot showcase is genuinely a historical moment. It marks the time Somalia earned a aureate spot connected the satellite stage," section younker manager and subordinate Cabdulaahi Geesey told BBC Somali.

"Sharing the transportation with Okocha, Eto'o and Adebayor, wearing the aforesaid kit and adjacent scoring a extremity is simply a imagination travel true.

"The representation these guests volition transportation backmost with them is of a peaceful Somalia, a agreed radical and a shot civilization that is rising erstwhile again.

"Somalia deserves the spot to commencement hosting matches connected location ungraded again."

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid striker Adebayor hailed the match, portion of a 'peace tour' backed by satellite governing assemblage Fifa, arsenic a "wonderful" occasion.

The thousands successful attendance created an electrical ambiance successful a stadium that has endured a chequered past.

"I cognize a small spot astir Somalia," the 41-year-old erstwhile Togo skipper said.

"We conscionable commune for God to springiness you bid truthful that you tin physique your country."

Yet the information concern successful Somalia remains challenging, and the temper was tense extracurricular the stadium, with a dense constabulary contingent guarding the venue.

Al-Qaeda-aligned Al-Shabab militants launched a large violative earlier this twelvemonth and person made territorial gains since February.

Attacks successful April killed elder Somali subject officials successful a colony 30km from Mogadishu, portion respective radical died this period erstwhile a termination bomber targeted an service recruitment centre successful the capital.

Somalia's information curate Mohamed Ali Haga described the lucifer arsenic a accidental to "change the cognition of the satellite towards Somalia and amusement the satellite that Mogadishu is peaceful".

Somalia's footballers person ever struggled to marque an interaction connected the continental stage, and its men are presently ranked 201st retired of 210 nationalist teams successful the satellite – with lone Seychelles and unranked Eritrea beneath them successful Africa.

They person ne'er made it past the preliminary circular successful qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations and person lone ever registered 1 triumph successful qualifying for the Fifa World Cup.

Djibouti has go Somalia's astir predominant venue for 'home' games during astir 4 decades successful exile, during which clip their stadium successful Mogadishu was repeatedly requisitioned for subject use.

Djibouti Football Association president Souleiman Waberi, who besides holds precocious bureau astatine the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and Fifa, says the legends crippled is the archetypal measurement to the instrumentality of the Ocean Stars.

"Maybe the adjacent measurement volition beryllium a affable lucifer with different country," Waberi added.

"Then the Somalia FA tin nonstop a missive to Caf to petition them to travel to cheque the stadium.

"If it meets each criteria, Somalia tin big planetary games present successful Mogadishu."

Recent location qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup person been staged arsenic acold afield arsenic Morocco and Mozambique, but supporters are anxious for their broadside to instrumentality to location soil.

Nasteexa Maxamuud was among the thousands successful attendance connected Tuesday to spot Adebayor, Eto'o and Okocha successful action.

"I'm genuinely precise blessed having 3 world-renowned footballers sojourn us, beryllium warmly welcomed, and instrumentality safely," she told the BBC.

"To Somalia, I accidental whitethorn this bid last.

"Just arsenic these players came and near successful bid and bully health, I anticipation the aforesaid volition hap for others."

Built successful 1977 with Chinese assistance, Mogadishu's main crushed was closed successful 1991 erstwhile the state descended into anarchy aft the overthrow of President Siad Barre's subject regime.

Peacekeepers from the United States and Pakistan utilized it arsenic a basal for 2 years until 1995, erstwhile it reopened for a nine-year spell.

Ethiopian troops were past stationed determination earlier Al-Shabab made it their main Mogadishu stronghold betwixt 2009 and 2011.

A caller internationally-backed authorities was installed successful 2012, starring to a caller peacekeeping unit utilizing the stadium arsenic an operational headquarters.

Infrastructure suffered heavy during the years of subject use, but artificial turf was laid and facilities restored during a renovation successful 2020.

The authoritative reopening for a crippled betwixt Horseed SC and Mogadishu City Club successful July 2021 drew a capableness crowd.

It is present hoped the legends lucifer volition assistance show that athletics tin reclaim a abstraction erstwhile dominated by violence.

"I cognize Somalia," Waberi said.

"It's a radical of sport. There's shot each day.

"We person a legends game, you spot the stadium is full. I americium definite this stadium volition big planetary games."