Addressing the nation on Friday evening, the Somali
president, professor Hassan Sheik Mohamud, made the announcement which grabbed
much welcome and appreciation from Somali Football Federation [SFF] whose
president has long been trying to get the facility back into the hands of SFF
for its proper use.
"The Somali government and the African Union Peace
keeping Mission in Somalia [AMISOM], have agreed that the AU troops must leave
from Stadium Mogadishu. The troops will soon leave it” the president of the
federal republic of Somalia, professor Hassan Sheik Mohamud, said in his
address on Friday evening.
The football-loving president of Somalia last visited Stadium Banadir on 15th of May and watched a football match there. During his stay at the Stadium, Somali FA president, Abdiqani Said Arab, renewed his request and demanded the Nation’s leader to push for the withdrawals of AU forces from the facility.
"Hopes are now arising as our president of the republic
of Somalia finally made the announcement that AU troops will soon leave the
stadium. We are really very much pleased to hear that and on behalf of Somali
football family, I comment our president for his commitment to football” Somali
FA president, Abdiqani Said Arab, said in a press statement on Saturday.
SFF president also lauded for the efforts made by the
minister for youth and Sport Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan who spent much time and
energy trying to get the stadium back into the hands of the people.
Since 2012, the Somali FA officials made several calls
for troop withdrawals from the Stadium, but AU troops were still reluctant to
vacate it. Earlier, Somali FA president Abdiqani Said Arab met with AMISOM
commander at Stadium Mogadishu Captain Angua who said his troops may leave the
stadium once the Somali governments asked them.
Built by Chinese government for Somalia in 1978, Stadium
Mogadishu changed hands several times since the country fell into anarchy in
1991. In 1993, the facility was used by American forces in Somalia and then the
Pakistani troops.
After the United Nations withdrew from Somalia in 1995, the
Stadium was back into the hands of Somali FA. But between 2007-2009 it was
housing Ethiopian troops who came to help Somali government defeat the once
powerful Islamic courts Union.
By the end of January 2009, it fell into the hands of Al
Shabab militants who occupied it until after they fled from the capital on August
6 2011. From that date up to the present time the stadium has been used by
AMISOM troops.
CAPTION:Somali FA President Abdiqani Said [Right] converses with the minister of sport Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, as Somali president Prof Hassan Sheik Mohamud [left] watches a game at Stadium Banadir on 15 May 2015
Somali Football Federation Media Department
Email:info@somsoccer.com