Suicide Explosion Kills Top Somali Football Player

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

Abdi Salaan Mohamed Ali, one of Somalia's top football players has been killed in suicide explosions while coming back from a training session near the Somali police academy on Monday morning. Two other football players Mahmoud Amin Mohamed and Siid Ali Mohamed Xiis have been wounded in the suicide explosions, according Somali Football federation statement.

Witnesses said that two suicide explosions occurred on a high way leading to Somali police academy where the footballers have performed their early morning training session. "They were walking on the way," Farhiya Mohamed who witnesses the explosions said.

The brutal incident has shocked the president of Somali Football Federation Mr. Said Mahmoud Nur who is currently in Khartoum for CAF congress. "I am deeply shocked by the sad news of the death and wounded young football players," Somali Football Federation president Mr. Said Mahmoud Nur said in a press statement on Monday afternoon.

"On behalf of the entire family of Somali Football, I am sending my heart-felt condolence to the families, relatives and friends of the slain football player Abdi Salaan Mohamed Ali. He was one of our best players and has recently been added to the national U-20 squad," the president said in his statement sent to the local and international media by the Somali Football Federation media department.

The statement said that the book of condolence has been opened at the Somali Football Federation head quarters in Mogadishu where thousands have registered since the sad news came to light earlier on the day.

"We are committed to continuing our duty in the war-torn country until we meet death," the president said in his statement on Monday.

For the past four years Somali Football family missed more than a dozen football players and top level officials including international football referee Abdi Abdulahi Alasow and executive committee member Ali Hussein Kariye.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze.