Somalia national football team facts for kids
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Nickname(s) | The Ocean Stars | |||
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Association | Somali Football Federation (Xiriirka Soomaaliyeed ee Kubbadda Cagta) |
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Confederation | CAF (Africa) | |||
Sub-confederation | CECAFA (Central & East Africa) |
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Head coach | Yusuf Ali Nur | |||
Captain | Abdulsamed Abdullahi | |||
Most caps | Ayub Daud (31) | |||
Top scorer | Ayub Daud (6) | |||
Home stadium | Mogadishu Stadium | |||
FIFA code | SOM | |||
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FIFA ranking | ||||
Current | 204 ![]() |
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Highest | 65 (April–June 1996) | |||
Lowest | 203 (April–May 2019) | |||
Elo ranking | ||||
Current | 203 ![]() |
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Highest | 126 (1973) | |||
Lowest | 205 (2015) | |||
First international | ||||
![]() ![]() (Mombasa, Kenya; 1958) |
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Biggest win | ||||
![]() ![]() (Casablanca, Morocco; 7 August 1985) |
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Biggest defeat | ||||
![]() ![]() (Jakarta, Indonesia; 14 November 1963) |
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CECAFA Cup | ||||
Appearances | 26 (first in 1973) | |||
Best result | Fifth place (1974, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1994, 2019) | |||
Arab Games | ||||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1985) | |||
Best result | Seventh place (1985) |
The Somalia national football team, also known as the Ocean Stars, represents Somalia in international football games. The team is managed by the Somali Football Federation (SFF). This organization is part of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The first captain of the Somali national team was Mohamed Shangole. Hasan Babay has been the team's longest-serving captain.
Contents
History of the Ocean Stars
Early Days of Somali Football
The first football teams in Somalia started in the 1940s. These early games were simple and linked to the movement against colonial rule. The Somali Youth League (SYL), Somalia's first political party, created a team of young local players. This team played against teams made up of Italian people living in Somalia. The SYL's football team, which later became known as Bondhere, won the first few competitions. In 1951, the Somali Football Federation (SFF) was officially formed. A special government role for sports was created in 1958.
Playing on the World Stage
The Somali national football team has played in many qualifying matches. However, they have never made it to the main FIFA World Cup tournament. For many years after the Somali Civil War began in the early 1990s, official FIFA games could not be played in Somalia. Because of this, qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup were played in other countries.
After the capital city, Mogadishu, became safer in 2011, the SFF started planning. They prepared for the first big sports event in years at the Mogadishu Stadium. This event took place in December 2012.
New Talents and Big Wins
Before 2019, the Somali FA decided to look for new, young football talents. They held local tryouts to find players for both the Olympic and national football teams. Many Somali players who live in other countries have also become great footballers. Examples include Islam Feruz and Mukhtar Ali.
On September 5, 2019, Somalia won their first qualifying match since 1984. This was also their first-ever win in a FIFA World Cup qualifying game. They beat Zimbabwe 1–0. The Ocean Stars almost moved to the next round. However, they lost 3–1 in Zimbabwe after two late goals from the opposing team. This meant they were out of the competition.
Team Look and Uniforms
Team Kits and Crest
The Somali national football team has had different kit providers over the years.
Kit provider | Period |
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2020–2021 |
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2022–present |
From the 1970s to the 1990s, the team's home uniform featured the Somali Flag. This included socks with the flag design. The away kits were the opposite colors. The main colors of the Somali national flag are blue and white. In the 2010s, the team changed its solid sky blue shirts. They now wear shirts with vertical blue and white stripes.
The team's badge used to be the coat of arms of Somalia. Now, it is the Somali Federation crest. The Ocean Stars play their home games at the Mogadishu Stadium. When the stadium was being rebuilt, the team played at Engineer Yaarisow Stadium. This is Mogadishu's second stadium for sports events.
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Recent Matches and Upcoming Games
Here are some of the recent match results for the Somali national team. Also included are any future games that have been planned.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
Matches in 2024
- March 20, 2024: Somalia lost 0-3 to Eswatini in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match in Morocco.
- March 26, 2024: Somalia drew 2-2 with Eswatini in the return leg in South Africa. Eswatini won 5-2 on total score.
- June 7, 2024: Somalia lost 1-2 to Mozambique in a World Cup qualifier in Mozambique.
- June 10, 2024: Somalia lost 1-3 to Botswana in a World Cup qualifier in Mozambique.
Matches in 2025
- March 21, 2025: Somalia drew 0-0 with Guinea in a World Cup qualifier in Ivory Coast.
- March 25, 2025: Somalia lost 0-2 to Botswana in a World Cup qualifier in Botswana.
- September 2025: Somalia is scheduled to play Guinea and Uganda in World Cup qualifiers.
- October 2025: Somalia is scheduled to play Algeria and Mozambique in World Cup qualifiers.
- November 2025: Somalia is scheduled to play Oman in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.
Team Coaches
Many coaches have led the Somali national football team over the years. Here is a list of some of them:
Current Players
Meet the Squad
The players listed below were chosen for the World Cup qualifying matches. These games were against Guinea and Botswana in March 2025.
The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of March 25, 2025, after the match against Botswana.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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GK | Abdirahman Mohamud | 1 January 2001 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | Ibrahim Ahmed Hussein | 23 December 2005 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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GK | Aleeleya Sheikh Saeed | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Abel Gigli | 16 August 1990 | 11 | 1 | ![]() |
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DF | Mohamud Ali | 8 July 1994 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Yonis Farah | 4 September 1999 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Ayman Mohamed Hussein | 12 December 2000 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Fahad Mohamed | 21 March 2000 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Ali Mohammed Omar | 14 September 1999 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Abdulle Abdullahi | 3 November 2006 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Suleyman Sidali | 2 October 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Ahmed Hirabe | 12 December 1997 | 12 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Abdulsamed Abdullahi | 19 January 1997 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Mukhtar Suleiman | 10 August 1998 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Ibrahim Ilyas | 5 March 2000 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Aweys Adan | 14 June 1995 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Mohamed Omar | 22 January 1999 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Mohamed Awad | 7 May 1994 | 12 | 1 | ![]() |
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FW | Sak Hassan | 21 March 2001 | 11 | 2 | ![]() |
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FW | Yusuf Ahmed | 24 April 1997 | 10 | 1 | ![]() |
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FW | Issa Adim Abatari | 13 February 2002 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Ali Adem Musse | 1 January 1996 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Mahad Shine | 19 August 2001 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Bilal Habib | 21 November 2000 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
Players Called Up Recently
These players have also been called to the Somalia squad in the last year.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Abdi Samad | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Saadiq Elmi | 11 November 2000 | 11 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Abdi Salim | 1 April 2001 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Isse Abdulkadir | 1 July 1999 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Ismail Liban | 29 July 2001 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Ismael Shirwa | 13 March 1994 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
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MF | Mohamed Sheik Ahmed | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Zakariyah Nur | 12 December 2005 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Abdullahi Osman | 5 April 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Yusuf Ali | 1 | 1 | ![]() |
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FW | Handwalla Bwana | 25 June 1999 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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Player Achievements
Most Games Played
These players have played the most games for Somalia. Players in bold are still active.
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Omar Abdulkadir | 31 | 0 | 1999–2007 |
2 | Yasin Ali Egal | 20 | 0 | 2003–2011 |
3 | Mustaf Yuusuf | 18 | 0 | 2015-now |
4 | Khalid Ali Mursal | 13 | 0 | 2025-present |
Salah Hussein Sa'ad | 13 | 0 | 2010–2013 | |
6 | Abubakar Nur Abdikarim | 12 | 0 | 2011–2015 |
Hassan Abdulkadir | 12 | 0 | 2000–2002 | |
Sheikh Abdulkadir | 12 | 0 | 2011–2015 | |
Mohamed Awad | 12 | 1 | 2021–present | |
Ahmed Hirabe | 12 | 0 | 2017–present | |
Hussein Mohamed | 12 | 0 | 2019–present |
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most goals for Somalia. Players in bold are still active.
Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Abdullahi Sheikh Mohamed | 3 | 6 | 0.5 | 2000–2005 |
Mohamed Ali Abdi Nur | 3 | 7 | 0.43 | 1985–1995 | |
3 | Omar Mohamed | 2 | 6 | 0.33 | 2019 |
Farhan Mohamed Ahmed | 2 | 10 | 0.2 | 2019–present | |
Mohamed Ali Abdiaziz | 2 | 11 | 0.18 | 2006–2011 | |
Ciise Aden Abshir | 2 | 11 | 0.18 | 2003–2011 | |
Sak Hassan | 2 | 11 | 0.18 | 2022–present |
Tournament Records
FIFA World Cup
Somalia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1958 | Part of ![]() ![]() |
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Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
1966 to 1978 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
1986 to 1998 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | |||||||||
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1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | |||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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To be determined | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 11 | ||||||||
Total | 0/15 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 40 |
Africa Cup of Nations
Somalia has not yet qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Africa Cup of Nations record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
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Not affiliated to CAF | Not affiliated to CAF | ||||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
Total | 0/35 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 24 |
CECAFA Cup
The CECAFA Cup is a regional tournament for East and Central African teams. Somalia has played in it 26 times.
More About Somali Football
- Somali national beach soccer team
- Somali League
- Somali Cup
- Somali Football Federation
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Somalia para niños