Somalia national football team facts for kids
Nickname(s) | The Ocean Stars | ||
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Association | Xiriirka Soomaaliyeed ee Kubbadda Cagta | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | CECAFA (Central & East Africa) |
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Head coach | ina jamac | ||
Captain | Ahmed Said Ahmed | ||
Most caps | Yasin Ali Egal (19) | ||
Top scorer | Abdullahi Sheikh Mohamed (3) | ||
Home stadium | Mogadishu Stadium | ||
FIFA code | SOM | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 204 (7 February 2019) | ||
Highest | 65 (April–June 1996) | ||
Lowest | 203 (April–May 2019) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 203 3 (3 March 2019) | ||
Highest | 126 (1973) | ||
Lowest | 205 (2015) | ||
First international | |||
Kenya 5–1 Somalia (Mombasa, Kenya; 1958) |
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Biggest win | |||
Somalia 5–2 Mauritania (Casablanca, Morocco; 7 August 1985) |
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Biggest defeat | |||
North Korea 14–0 Somalia (Jakarta, Indonesia; 14 November 1963) |
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CECAFA Cup | |||
Appearances | 26 (first in 1973) | ||
Best result | 5th | ||
Arab Games | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1985) | ||
Best result | 7th |
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.
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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. 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
Kit provider | Period |
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Adidas | 2015–2021 |
A2Z Sports | 2021–present |
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, 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).
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Results and fixtures
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
Friendly 14 October | Somalia | 0–3 | Niger | Berrechid, Morocco | ||
16:30 UTC+1 |
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Stadium: Berrechid Municipal Stadium |
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Friendly 17 October | Somalia | 0–2 | Sierra Leone | Berrechid, Morocco | ||
19:30 UTC+1 | Turay 26' (pen.), 59' | Stadium: Berrechid Municipal Stadium |
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Friendly 19 October | Somalia | 0–0 | Libya | Khouribga, Morocco | ||
19:00 UTC+1 | https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2023-10-19/somalia-vs-libya/3198868/ | Stadium: Phosphate Stadium |
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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 16 November | Algeria | 3–1 | Somalia | Algiers, Algeria | ||
18:00 UTC+1 | Abdi 2' (o.g.) Bounedjah 31' Slimani 80' |
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400017614 | Ahmed 65' | Stadium: Nelson Mandela Stadium Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Boubou Traore (Mali) |
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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification 21 November | Somalia | 0–1 | Uganda | Berkane, Morocco | ||
14:00 UTC+1 | https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288282/288289/400017613 | Stadium: Stade Municipal de Berkane Attendance: 200 Referee: Pedro Ndong Ovono Obono (Equatorial Guinea) |
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2024
2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 20 March | Somalia | 0–3 | Eswatini | |||
Figuareido 40' Ginindza 45', 56' |
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2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 26 March | Eswatini | 2–2 (5–2 agg.)
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Somalia | |||
Note: Eswatini won 5–2 on aggregate. |
Coaches
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.
Caps and goals correct as of 21 November 2023, after the match against Uganda.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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GK | Mustaf Yuusuf | 1 January 1998 | 15 | 0 | IFK Berga | |
GK | Ibrahim Ahmed Hussein | 23 December 2005 | 1 | 0 | Waxool | |
GK | Ahmed Mayow Shariff | 8 February 2002 | 0 | 0 | Horseed | |
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DF | Ahmed Banu Hirabe | 12 December 1997 | 8 | 0 | Horseed | |
DF | Saadiq Elmi | 11 November 2000 | 6 | 0 | Moss | |
DF | Ayman Mohamed Hussein | 12 December 2000 | 6 | 0 | Horseed | |
DF | Abdi Mohamed | 25 October 1996 | 5 | 0 | Columbus Crew 2 | |
DF | Abdiwali Abdirahman Mohamed | 1 January 2000 | 4 | 0 | Elman | |
DF | Isse Abdulkadir | 1 July 1999 | 3 | 0 | Elman | |
DF | Abdi Salim | 1 April 2001 | 2 | 0 | Orlando City | |
DF | Mohamud Ali | 1 | 0 | Horseed | ||
DF | Ahmed Isse | 3 February 2001 | 0 | 0 | Real Balompédica Linense | |
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MF | Sak Hassan | 21 March 2001 | 5 | 1 | Hashtag United | |
MF | Isse Ismail | 20 April 1999 | 5 | 0 | Haninge | |
MF | Omar Jama | 21 May 1998 | 5 | 0 | JäPS | |
MF | Abdulkadir Sidow | 2 | 0 | Elman | ||
MF | Haji Adan | 1 | 0 | Dekedaha | ||
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FW | Hussein Mohamed | 20 March 1997 | 11 | 0 | JäPS | |
FW | Farhan Mohamed Ahmed | 15 November 2000 | 9 | 2 | Horseed | |
FW | Mohamed Awad | 7 May 1994 | 6 | 0 | Sliema Wanderers | |
FW | Ibrahim Ilyas | 5 March 2000 | 4 | 0 | KMC | |
FW | Mahad Mohamed Abdulkadir | 19 August 2001 | 3 | 0 | Horseed | |
FW | Yusuf Ahmed | 24 April 1997 | 3 | 1 | Avondale | |
FW | Issa Adim Abatari | 13 February 2002 | 2 | 0 | Mogadishu City | |
FW | Siad Haji | 1 December 1999 | 2 | 0 | FC Tulsa |
Recent call ups
The following players have also been called up to the Somalia squad within the last twelve months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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MF | Haji Abdikadir | 15 October 1998 | 3 | 0 | Athlone Town | v. Libya; 19 October 2023 |
MF | Muqtar Ahmed | 15 April 2005 | 1 | 0 | Winterthur II | v. Libya; 19 October 2023 |
MF | Abdi Sharif | 1 January 2001 | 1 | 0 | Wigan Athletic | v. Libya; 19 October 2023 |
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FW | Bilal Njie | 13 June 1998 | 2 | 0 | FK Haugesund | v. Libya; 19 October 2023 |
Player records
- Players in bold are still active with Somalia.
Most appearances
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Yasin Ali Egal | 19 | 0 | 2003–2011 |
2 | Mustaf Yuusuf | 16 | 0 | 2015–present |
3 | Omar Ibrahim Abdulkadir | 14 | 0 | 2000–2007 |
4 | Abubakar Nur Abdikarim | 12 | 0 | 2011–2015 |
5 | Mohamed Ali Abdiaziz | 11 | 2 | 2006–2011 |
6 | Cisse Aadan Abshir | 10 | 1 | 2003–2011 |
Ahmed Said Ahmed | 10 | 0 | 2019–present | |
Hussein Mohamed | 10 | 0 | 2019–present | |
Mahad Mohamed Haji | 10 | 0 | 2010–2015 | |
Abdinur Mohamud | 10 | 0 | 2011–2019 |
Top goalscorers
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Abdullahi Sheikh Mohamed | 3 | 6 | 0.5 | 2000–2005 |
2 | Abdilahi Abdi | 2 | — | — | ?–? |
Mohammed Abdi | 2 | — | — | 1985–1994 | |
Omar Mohamed | 2 | 6 | 0.33 | 2019 | |
Farhan Mohamed Ahmed | 2 | 8 | 0.25 | 2019–present | |
Mohamed Ali Abdiaziz | 2 | 11 | 0.18 | 2006–2011 |
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
Africa Cup of Nations
African Nations ChampionshipOlympic Games
All-Africa Games
CECAFA CupMain page: CECAFA Cup
FIFA Arab Cup
The 2009 edition was cancelled during qualification. Arab Games
Minor tournaments
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See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Somalia para niños
- Somali national beach soccer team
- Somali League
- Somali Cup
- Somali Football Federation