Somalia national football team

The Somalia national footballers team (Somali: Xeegada Qaranka Soomaaliya, Arabic: الاتحاد الصومال لكرة القدم‎), nicknamed the Ocean Stars, represents Somalia in international football and is controlled by the Somali Football Federation (SFF), a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Somalia's first national team captain was Mohamed Shangole, whilst its longest serving captain has been Hasan Babay.

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Somalia women's national football team.
Somalia
Nickname(s)Ocean Stars
AssociationSomali Football Federation
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationCECAFA
(Central & East Africa)
Head coachSaid Abdi Haibeh
Captain[[]]
Most capsCiise Aden Abshir
Abdinur Mohamud
Hasan Babay (10)
Top scorerAbdelaziz Ali (3)
Home stadiumMogadishu Stadium
FIFA codeSOM
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 196 (16 July 2020)[1]
Highest158 (April–June 1995)
Lowest207 (April–May 2018)
First international
 Kenya 5–0 Somalia 
(Mombasa, Kenya; 1958)[2]
Biggest win
 Somalia 5–2 Mauritania 
(Casablanca, Morocco; 7 August 1985)
Biggest defeat
 North Korea 14–0 Somalia 
(Jakarta, Indonesia; 12 November 1963)

History

The first Somali football teams were established in the 1940s. The competitions were basic in structure and were associated with the anti-colonial movement. The Somali Youth League (SYL), the nation's first political party, had put together a team of local youth to play against the Italian expatriate teams. The soccer team the FYL had assembled, which would later change its name to Bondhere, won the first several competitions. In 1951, the Somali Football Federation (SFF) was founded. The first Somali commissioner for sport was later established in 1958.

Although the Somali national football team took part in preliminary matches, it has never qualified for the final stages of a World Cup. For many years after the outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s, FIFA-sanctioned games could not be played within the country. Qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup were instead contested away from home. However, following the pacification of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, the SFF began preparations for the first major sporting event to be held in years at the Mogadishu Stadium, in December 2012.

Prior to 2019, the Somali FA decided they would admit to all their young and upcoming youth talents and put out local trials to fortify both Olympic and national football teams.

In addition, many from the Somali diaspora in the past have produced quality football players such as Islam Feiruz and Mukhtar Ali.

On 5 September 2019, Somalia won their first qualifying match since 1984 (against Kenya - AFCON Qualifying) and their first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifying match, beating Zimbabwe by 1–0.[3] They nearly advanced to the second round but lost 3–1 in Zimbabwe after two late goals for the warriors, consigning the Ocean Stars to an early exit.

Coaches
Head coach Charles Livingstone Mbabazi, having talks with the players during a training session.
Name Nat Period Matches Wins Draws Losses Efficiency %
Qi Wusheng 1978–1979
Anas Shido 1984-1987 28 19 7 2 59%
Hussein Ali Abdulle May 1999 – Dec 2000 8 0 1 7 6.3%
Awil Ismail Mohamed[4][5] 2004–2005 5 0 1 4 10%
Ignacio Gonzalez Nov 2001 – Dec 2002 7 1 2 4 28.6%
Ali Abdi Farah Oct 2003 – Dec 2005 9 1 0 8 11.1%
Daniel Muwathe Oct 2006 – Dec 2006 6 0 0 6 0%
Mohammed Shidane Oct 2007 – Dec 2007 4 0 0 4 0%
Ali Abdi Farah Sept 2008 – Dec 2009 8 2 0 6 25%
Mohamed Farayare Jan 2010 – Mar 2010 2 1 0 1 50%
Yousef Adam Oct 2010 – Dec 2010 3 0 0 3 0%
Alfred Imonje Oct 2011 – Dec 2011 5 0 1 4 10%
Sam Ssimbwa Dec 2011 – Oct 2013 6 0 0 6 0%
Callum Cawkwell[6][7][8] Nov 2013 – Mar 2014 3 0 0 3 0%
Sam Ssimbwa Mar 2014 – Sept 2015 2 0 0 2 0%
Charles Mbabazi Sept 2015
Haruna Mawa[9] Nov 2016 – Nov 2019 2 0 0 2 0%
Bashir Hayford Nov 2019 – Dec 2019 2 0 0 2 0%
Said Abdi Haibeh Dec 2019 – 0 0 0 0 0%

Recent schedule and results
Main article: Somalia national football team results

The following is a list of match results from the previous 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss

2019
5 September 2019 (2019-09-05) 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualification - 1st roundSomalia 1–0 ZimbabweDjibouti City, Djibouti[note 1]
 Report Stadium: El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium
10 September 2019 (2019-09-10) 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualification - 1st roundZimbabwe 3–1
(3–2 agg.)		 SomaliaHarare, Zimbabwe
15:00 UTC+2
Report (FIFA)
Stadium: National Sports Stadium
Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar)
The national team doing drills as part of preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Competitive record

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2019 CECAFA Cup in December 2019.[10]

Caps and goals correct as of: 7 December 2019, after the match against  Djibouti
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Said Aweys Ali (2000-09-21) 21 September 2000 6 0 Mogadishu City Club
19 1GK Usaama Yussuf (1998-11-06) 6 November 1998 0 0 Genc Osman
20 1GK Abdiasis Xasan 0 0 Tower United
3 2DF Yonis Farah (1999-09-04) 4 September 1999 5 0 Ytterhogdals IK
2 2DF Mohamud Ali Mohamed (1994-07-08) 8 July 1994 6 0 Southport
4 2DF Ahmed Said Ahmed (1998-07-04) 4 July 1998 6 0 VJS Vantaa
5 2DF Liban Abdulahi (1995-11-02) 2 November 1995 2 0 Unattached
12 2DF Guled Abdirizak Ahmed (1996-05-12) 12 May 1996 2 0 NK Zrinski Jurjevac
16 2DF Farhan Omar (1992-06-20) 20 June 1992 0 0 Pargas IF
18 2DF Omar Sharif Kale 3 0
6 3MF Omar Mohamed (1996-05-18) 18 May 1996 6 2 Greenville Triumph
10 3MF Abd-El-Aziz Yousef (1999-10-05) 5 October 1999 6 0 HFX Wanderers
11 3MF Abdulsamed Abdullahi (1997-01-19) 19 January 1997 2 0 Den Bosch
8 3MF Abdulkadir Said Ahmed (1999-07-17) 17 July 1999 3 0 VJS Vantaa
14 3MF Mohamed Abukar (1998-01-10) 10 January 1998 0 0 Brightlingsea Regent
17 3MF Said Ali Hussein (2000-07-01) 1 July 2000 1 0 Avanti '31
9 4FW Hussein Mohamed (1997-03-20) 20 March 1997 3 0 HIFK
15 4FW Ali Musse (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996 4 0 Valour FC
7 4FW Hassan Abdinur Gesey (1998-05-05) 5 May 1998 7 0 Horseed
19 4FW Anwar Shakunda (1999-04-12) 12 April 1999 3 1 Elman

Recent call-ups
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Hassan Ibrahim Ali (1996-11-04) 4 November 1996 2 0 Dekedaha vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
GK Abbas Bashir Hashi (1999-10-10) 10 October 1999 0 0 vs.  Zimbabwe, 5 September 2019
DF Ayman Mohamed Hussein (2000-12-12) 12 December 2000 3 0 Midnimo vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
DF Abel Gigli (1990-08-16) 16 August 1990 2 0 Caratese vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
DF Ahmed Ali (C) (1990-10-23) 23 October 1990 6 0 Halesowen Town vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
DF Ibrahim Abdi Mohamed (1999-01-01) January 1, 1999 2 0 Horseed vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
DF Abdi Mohamed (1996-10-25) 25 October 1996 1 0 vs.  Zimbabwe, 5 September 2019
MF Abas Amin (1996-01-01) 1 January 1996 6 1 Dekedaha vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
MF Fahad Ishmail (1996-09-02) 2 September 1996 1 0 Unattached vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
MF Mohamed Abubakar Mohamed (1998-01-10) 10 January 1998 3 0 vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
MF Suleyman Sidali Abdi 0 0 vs.  Zimbabwe, 5 September 2019
MF Ali Omar Ali 0 0 vs.  Zimbabwe, 5 September 2019
FW Farhan Mohamed Ahmed (2000-11-15) 15 November 2000 6 1 Horseed vs.  Zimbabwe, 10 September 2019
FW Mohamud Abdinur (1997-09-13) 13 September 1997 9 0 Horseed vs.  Zimbabwe, 5 September 2019
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See also

Notes
  1. Played in Djibouti due to security concerns from the ongoing civil war

References
  1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  2. Hassan, Mohammed Sheik (2008). History of Somali football (1938–2007). Scansom. p. 20. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  3. "World Cup qualifying: Somalia national team's history-making driving instructor". BBC News. 8 September 2019.
  4. "Somali-FA-technical-director-Awil-Ismail-Mohamed - Somchess.net". somchess.net.
  5. "Kenya/Somalia: Don't Write Off Somalia, Says Coach". 14 November 2002 – via AllAfrica.
  6. "Somalia v Zambia, 04 December 2013". 11v11.com.
  7. "Somalia v Tanzania, 01 December 2013". 11v11.com.
  8. "Burundi v Somalia, 28 November 2013". 11v11.com.
  9. Isabirye, David (5 November 2016). "Mawa beats Isabirye to Somalia head coach job". Kawowo.com. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  10. Festus Chuma (3 December 2019). "CECAFA 2019: Somalia Name Strong Squad For The Tournament". Ducor Sports. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
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