As the Mogadishu-based schools football competition is interestingly taking place in the open ground at the Somali police academy, footballers from Jaber Bin Hayan primary and secondary school defeated their Abu Hanifa opponents by 2-1 on Saturday.
The schools competition which is the first of its kind held in Somalia`s lawless capital in nearly two decades is intended to pave the way for the reviving of the country’s schools matches which were one of the most interesting soccer competitions held in Somalia before the chaos.
"Schools are where most of Somali footballers were educated just over sixty years ago, so we want to revive the schools competitions, because this can help develop Somali football at the grassroots," Somali football federation president Said Mahmoud Nur told reporters in Mogadishu Sunday.
On Thursday in the opening of the competition, Al mathal school beat Hamar Boarding school by a goal to nothing while Ma`mur secondary school defeated Banadir by 3-0 on Friday.
"Football makes me forget the difficulties created by the long running wars here in Mogadishu, so I love playing it, a thirteen year old Fowsi Ahmed of the Jaber Bin Hayan School told reporters after the end of Saturday`s competition.
According to the Somali football federation, the competitions are held at the open ground of Somali police academy because the country`s largest football facility Stadium Mogadishu is currently being used as a military base by the Al-Shabab militants while the rebuilding work of the second largest stadium in Somalia Stadium Banadir is on halt because of the nearly daily armed confrontations in the Abdel Aziz district in the north eastern part of the capital where the facility is located.
By Shafi`i Mohyaddin Abokar
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