For an exhibition game aimed at restoring the country’s reputation, three African football legends, including Jay-Jay Okocha, Samuel Eto’o, and Emmanuel Adebayor, took to the field in Somalia on Tuesday.
The three superstars are a part of a “peace tour” that Somalia hopes will enable it to once again host international competitions.
Since 1991, Somalia has been at the center of a near-constant internal conflict, and its national team currently has to travel to Djibouti or Morocco.
After Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgents used the national stadium in Mogadishu as a base in 2008, and then by African Union peacekeepers who drove them out of the city, the stadium suffered significant damage.
In 2020, it underwent renovations and reopened for play.
The sports ministry referred to Eto, o, former Togo striker Adebayor, and former Nigeria player Okocha as “a historic day” for what the sports ministry called the “historic day”
Security Minister Mohamed Ali Haga characterized the event as an opportunity to “show the world that Mogadishu is peaceful and capable of hosting other African matches” and “change the perception of the world toward Somalia.”
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In southern Mogadishu, there was limited security around the stadium.
Numerous fans gathered hours before the game to show up, many of whom wade the Somali flag.
“To watch a player like Eto, who has inspired me so much, is a great day for me,” Eto said. “I cannot miss such a great occasion. One fan, Mowlid Ali, told AFP, “It feels like I’m sitting in the Barcelona stadium.”
Another player, Abdirahman Dhere, said, “The game here today is not a simple football match; it will undoubtedly demonstrate how Somalia is recovering from the long-running civil war.”
Apparently, Somalia has requested that FIFA and CAF review its security situation in order to host upcoming games.
Source: Channels TV
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