Three African football legends – Samuel Eto’o, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jay-Jay Okocha – took to the pitch in Somalia on Tuesday for an exhibition match aimed at restoring the country’s image.
The three superstars were part of a FIFA-backed “peace tour” that Somalia hopes will help it once again host international fixtures.
Somalia has been in a state of near-constant internal conflict since 1991, and its national team has had to play matches mostly in neighbouring Djibouti.
The national stadium in Mogadishu, the capital, was heavily damaged after being used as a base by Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgents from 2008 and then by African Union peacekeepers who chased them out of the city.
It was renovated and reopened for sports in 2020.
The arrival of Cameroon icon Eto’o, former Togo striker Adebayor and ex-Nigeria playmaker Okocha for what was billed as the first high-profile match in three decades was labelled “a historic day” by the sports ministry.
The three stars led an international team to an 8-4 victory against a team of local players.
“We just pray for God to give you guys peace, so that you can build your country,” Adebayor told reporters after the match, adding that the occasion was “beautiful and incredible”.
Security Minister Mohamed Ali Haga described the match as a chance to “change the perception of the world towards Somalia… and show the world that Mogadishu is peaceful and can host other African matches”.
Security was tight around the stadium in southern Mogadishu.
Hundreds of fans showed up hours in advance of the match, many waving the Somali flag.
“This is a great day for me — to watch a player like Eto’o who has inspired me so much — I cannot miss such a great occasion. It is like I’m seated in the Barcelona stadium,” one fan, Mowlid Ali, told AFP.
“The game here today is not a simple football match. This match will definitely demonstrate how Somalia is reviving from the war that has ravaged the country for a long time,” added another, Abdirahman Dhere.
Somalia has reportedly asked FIFA and Confederation of African Football to re-evaluate its security situation to be able to hold future fixtures.
Delegates from the CAF and Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations were present for the match.
AFP
