The Somali Football Federation and Somali Youth Advocacy Organization ‘SYAO’ have jointly ended a football for peace tourney for four districts in Mogadishu which the worst armed confrontations in the capital had severely destroyed.

The knock out football competition was held for the districts of Hodon, Wardhiigley, kaaraan and Abdel Aziz. Two of them locate in the north east of the capital and have been no go areas for the past two and a half years.

Somali Football Federation president deputy president Abdullahi Abow Hussein said that the competition was intended to encourage the reopening of high ways in the capital and in particularly in the hardest hit fur districts.

“We are very grateful to the Somali Youth Advocacy Organization for its understanding to sponsor such peace tourney and we urge them to continue their peace message throughout all Somalia” the deputy president during a small closing ceremony for the four-district tourney on Saturday afternoon.

“I am congratulating you and your district team on winning the tournament” the vice president said as he was presenting the trophy to the Hodon District team captain Abid Mohamed Yusuf.

Somali Youth Advocacy organization chairman Mohamed Ajib for his part said that his organization is prioritizing to use football as an element for peace building and he hope that the Somali Football Federation and his organization will jointly continue holding such football for peace tournaments.

How ever in the final match boys from Hodon district defeated their Kaaraan district rivals by a goal to nothing and the left with the trophy of the four district tourney which was the first of such kind to be held in Somali capital for more than 20 years.

By Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar

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