The president of the federal republic of Somalia, Prof Hassan Sheik
Mahmoud, has on Friday launched the first ever inter-state football
tournament since after Somalia took the federal system just more than a
decade ago.

The host team Banadir humiliated their Southwest State rivals by 5-0 in
the opening match which attracted tens of thousands of spectators on
Friday.

Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, welcomed Somali
president Prof Hassan Sheik Mahmoud to stadium Banadir and invited him to
kick the first ball to inaugurate the tournament.

The Somali leader was accompanied by the Southwest State president Sharif
Hassan Sheik Aden, the minister for youth and sport Mohamed Abdullahi
Hassan, Mogadishu mayor, Yusuf Hussein Jimale, government ministers, law
makers, ministers and director generals from regional states affiliated to
the federal government of Somalia.

SFF president, Abdiqani Said Arab, commended the minister for youth and
sport Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan for playing a key role in the
implementation of the tournament which he said will be organized every
year.

“I take this opportunity to thank our minister for his dedication and
commitment to the promotion of football in the country. The arrangement of
this competition has been under way for the past two years and we are
happy that today the tournament is officially launched by the president of
the federal republic of Somalia Prof Hassan Sheik Mahmoud” SFF president
explained.

The president also praised the Mayor of the capital Yusuf Hussein Jimale
for accepting to host the first inter-state football tournament in
Somalia.

The minister for youth and sport, Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan extolled Somali
Football Federation authorities for the high profile organization of the
competition.

On his party, the president of the federal republic of Somalia Prof Hassan
Sheik Mahmoud, said that such football competitions would help the Somali
youths get a greater opportunity to create peace, friendship and
integration.

The president praised the Somali Football Federation authorities for their
commitment to develop football across the country which experienced more
than 25 years of civil wars and lawlessness.

However, the newly inaugurated inter-state football event is different
from the regional football tournament that Somali Football Federation has
been organizing since 1972.