Ocean Stars Off to Kampala for CECAFA Cup

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

The Somali National football team 'Ocean stars' on Friday flew to Kampala where they will participate in this year's CECAFA senior challenge cup, according to Somali Football Federation Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab.

Mr. Arab told the media the team was due to travel on Thursday but their trip was postponed due to their plane which failed to arrive yesterday.

The Ocean stars will have two week-training sessions in Kampala prior to the competition which will start on November 24.

"We have sent 21 member team, two coaches and head of the delegation to Kampala today-7 other Somali footballers including two from UK, two from Holland, two from USA and one from Kuwait will join the team tomorrow," Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab noted.

Somali Football Federation had prepared training facilities for the team before the competition starts.

"Somalia is hopeful of good outcome this year," SFF secretary General Abdi Qabi Said Arab told the media in Mogadishu Friday.

He praised the efforts by the Somali football coaches outside the country who prepared talented players. Those coaches include SFF administrative representative in UK Abdi Olad Rage and coach Abdirashid Islow.

"Also the north America-based coaches are commendable for their endless efforts in terms of promoting Somali football in their places" Mr Arab emphasized.

Somalia is experiencing one of the world's most notorious civil wars for the past two decades, but becomes the sole country that had never missed a single international, continental or regional competition.

"Somalia is a football-loving nation in our region and it always makes CECAFA leaders very happy, because Somalia never failed to show up for our competitions," CECAFA secretary General Nicholas Musonye said in an interview last year.

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