Somalia_national_football_team

Somalia national football team

Somalia national football team

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The Somalia national football team (Somali: Kooxda Qaranka Soomaaliya, Arabic: الإتِّحَاد الصُّومَالِي لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم), 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, while its longest serving captain has been Hasan Babay.

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Women's football in Somalia.

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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 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 Feruz 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.

Team image

Kits and crest

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From the 1970s up until the 1990s, the Somali national football team used to wear solid sky blue shirts and socks with white shorts for home kits and the inverse as away kits,[4] the two primary colours of the Somali national flags, in the 2010s up until the present, the national team have now replaced the solid sky blue shirts for vertically blue and white striped shirts.

The crest of the Somali national team used to be the coat of arms of Somalia but it is now replaced with the Somali Federation crest. The Ocean Stars plays their home games in the Mogadishu Stadium, (As the stadium was being rebuilt, the national team played matches at Engineer Yaarisow Stadium, which is Mogadishu's secondary stadium for sporting events).

Somalia's first colours in the 1970s–1990s
Somalia's second colours in the 1970s–1990s

Results and fixtures

Main article: Somalia national football team results

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

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

14 October Friendly Somalia  0–3  Niger Berrechid, Morocco
16:30 UTC+1
Stadium: Berrechid Municipal Stadium
17 October Friendly Somalia  0–2  Sierra Leone Berrechid, Morocco
19:30 UTC+1 Turay 26' (pen.), 59' Stadium: Berrechid Municipal Stadium
19 October Friendly Somalia  0–0  Libya Khouribga, Morocco
19:00 UTC+1 Report Stadium: Phosphate Stadium
16 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Algeria  3–1  Somalia Algiers, Algeria
18:00 UTC+1 Abdi 2' (o.g.)
Bounedjah 31'
Slimani 80'		 Report Ahmed 65' Stadium: Nelson Mandela Stadium
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Boubou Traore (Mali)
21 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Somalia  0–1  Uganda Berkane, Morocco
14:00 UTC+1 Report
Stadium: Stade Municipal de Berkane
Attendance: 200
Referee: Pedro Ndong Ovono Obono (Equatorial Guinea)

2024

20 March 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Somalia  0–3  Eswatini
Figuareido 40'
Ginindza 45', 56'
26 March 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Eswatini  2–2
(5–2 agg.)		  Somalia
Note: Eswatini won 5–2 on aggregate.

Coaches

Head coach Charles Livingstone Mbabazi, having talks with the players during a training session.
The national team doing drills as part of preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
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Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Algeria and Uganda on 16 and 21 November 2023, respectively.[5]

Caps and goals correct as of 21 November 2023, after the match against Uganda.

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Recent call ups

The following players have also been called up to the Somalia squad within the last twelve months.

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Player records

As of 21 November 2023[6]
Players in bold are still active with Somalia.

Most appearances

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Top goalscorers

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Competitive record

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See also

Notes

    References

    1. [1]
      "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
    2. [2]
      Hassan, Mohammed Sheik (2008). History of Somali football (1938–2007). Scansom. p. 20. ISBN 9789185945986. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
    3. [3]
      "World Cup qualifying: Somalia national team's history-making driving instructor". BBC News. 8 September 2019. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
    4. [4]
      "Somalia vs Yemen PDR for Arab Cup Qualification 1985 (Arabic)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
    5. [5]
      "Final Squad". Facebook. Somali Football Federation 1951.
    6. [6]
      "Somalia". National Football Teams.
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