The Somali Football Federation has on Thursday 31st of March 2016,
launched three football development courses in the City of Kismayo, the
provincial capital of the semiautonomous Somali regional state of
Jubbaland.

The courses which are part of the SFF’s [spread the football initiative]
have been allocated for the regional state through the regional development scheme and will continue for five days, as shown in the Somali FA’s  strategic development program for the year.

The program brought together a total of 50 football volunteers who are 20
future referees, 17 new coaches and 13 football administrators.

The development initiative which was announced by the Somali Football
Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, in his post election address on
31st of August 2014 is mainly intended to prepare the country for its first ever regional football leagues which as planned will be inaugurated
sometime before the end of this year.

“Human resource development is the most important thing for us.  The main
objective for the organization of the regional development courses is to
educate the people who would manage football in all regional states of the
federal government to give them the capacity and the knowledge to
implement the regional leagues under the auspice of SFF” President
Abdiqani Said Arab noted.

He said that this is the second huge development project to be carried out
in the country in less than two months adding that such projects will be
implemented throughout the country in the next few months despite the less
financial capability the federation is facing.

“Although we have no local sponsors and our government has not the
financial capacity to assist us, we are determined to spreading football
knowledge across the country, because our commitment is more than enough”
said SFF president Abdiqani Said Arab, who thanked to FIFA for being the
sole financer of his federation since the country descended into chaos
more than 26 years ago.

The chairman of the regional state football committee, Ahmed Farah Taqal,
who delivered a short address at the launch ceremony of the program,
thanked the Somali Football Federation authorities for their commitment to
promote football throughout the country.

“With the help of Somali Football federation, we intend to continue
development courses in the region” he said before handing over the
microphone to Burhan Mohamoud Hassan, the director general of the regional
state’s ministry for public affairs who praised the SFF for the
implementation of the development programs in his regional state.

“We expect the Somali Football Federation to continue such development programs and as regional authorities we promise to play our role” he said.

Somali Football Federation senior vice president, Ali Abdi Mohamed, who
addressed at the launch ceremony of the development courses, said that SFF
is giving much priority to increasing the quality and quantity of human
resources.

“Last month we did such program in Puntland state and today we are here
and tomorrow we will be in other states” said SFF senior vice president
Ali Abdi Mohamed adding that his federation was very pleased with the
cooperation by the regional state’s ministry for public affairs.

The regional state minister for public affairs Moalim Mohamed Ibrahim
added that football was playing a big role in the restoration of the
country’s lost name and publicity.

“Football is very important for the people of Somalia because it brings
about peace and generates public integration and development. The country got destroyed, but now after so many years, I see hopes that we are back”the minister said before inviting Jubaland’s parliament speaker Sheik Abdi Mohamed Abdirahman to inaugurate the courses.

Collins Okinyo

Ex- CAF Media Expert. An expert on African football with over 15 years experience ,always with an ear to the ground with indepth knowledge of the game. I have worked for top publications including 7 years at www.supersport.com until i founded www.soka25east.com to quench the thirst of football lovers across the continent. I have trained young upcoming journalists who are now a voice in African football.I have covered World Cup,AFCON,CHAN,Champions League,Confederations Cup,Cecafa,Cosafa,Wafu and many other football tournaments across the World. Founder Football Africa Arena(FAA),Founder www.afrisportdigital.com