Somali U-17 Goalkeeper Slain in Mogadishu

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

Somali National U-17 football squad 1st goalkeeper Abdulkader Dheere Hussein has been killed in Mogadishu by unidentified assailants, the Somali Football Federation (SFF) announced on Thursday.

The SFF said in a press statement that the young footballer was killed in the Waberi district of Mogadishu after a training session.

"Still we don't know who was behind the brutal killing, but the Somali Football Federation is investigating the matter to find out who was exactly behind the killing," the Somali Football federation secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab said in his statement Thursday.

"This is another shocking experience we have met so far this year-the SFF is totally condemning such killing against the promotion of football in Somalia" the Somali Football Federation secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab noted in his statement adding that the slain goalkeeper was the backbone of Somali U-17 football team.

It was on April 4 this year when a female suicide bomber killed the presidents of Somali Football Federation Said Mahmoud Nur and national Olympic committee Aden Hajji Yeberow. The Al-Qaeda-linked Somali Terrorists of Al-shabaab claimed the responsibility of the killing.

For the past twenty years of lack of a functioning central government in Somalia, many sporting volunteers including high profile dignitaries, referees, players, coaches and fans have been either killed or arrested for their involvement in sports particularly in football.

Writing stories about football or other sport is also seen a 'crime' by the militants in Somalia who target the high profile journalists for publishing what the extremists describe as 'satanic' football stories.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze. Read more stories by Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar.