Banadir Sports Club celebrate for their victory
Somali Football Federation and the United Nations Office in Somalia
(UNSOM) jointly organized a football for peace event as an observation for the international day of peace.
The match was played at stadium Banadir in Mogadishu on Sunday 7th September 2014 after the UN special representative for Somalia
Nicholas Kay requested the Somali FA to organize the match that
weekend as an early celebration for the International event which is
annually observed throughout the world to strengthen the ideals of
peace in the world.
Somali Football federation President Abdiqani Said Arab and the UN representative Nicholas Kay talked to the media to high light the importance of the peace day program.
Before the UN representative was invited to kick the first ball of the
match, the Somali Football federation President Abdiqani Said Arab and the UN representative Nicholas Kay talked to the media to high light the importance of the peace day program.
“It is a great honor for Somali Football Federation to welcome
the top UN official to Stadium Banadir for the first time and his
arrival here is a clear indication that the UN was interested in
football by preferring to mark the world peace celebration with
football match with the help from Somali FA” President Abdiqani Said
Arab noted.
“Football is the people’s game as more than 90% of Somalis are
football-loving people and that is why the UN special representative
Mr. Nicholas Kay arrived here today and even dressed in our national
football team shirt and we recognize him as member of the football
family” SFF president emphasized.
Banadir Sports Club
As football is capable of attracting hundreds of thousands of people
at one time and has been playing a key role in peace promotion and
youth integration in the country for more than two decades, the Somali Football Federation President Abdiqani Said Arab sent a strong message to the United Nations requesting the world body to pay much attention to football which has so far been used as an element of peace building and yielded positive results.
“This world peace event is the start for the cooperation between the
United Nations and Somali Football Federation and we will continue
working on peace together” President Abdiqani Said Arab said before
handing over the microphone to the top UN official in Somalia.
Having a very cheerful atmosphere, the UN representative Nicholas Kay started his speech with greetings in Somali language saying ‘Galab
wanaagsan’ which means ‘good afternoon’ in English.
“It is very great pleasure for me to be here today. This is one of my
happiest and best days in Somalia to come and see young people playing football in a soccer facility here in Mogadishu. For me this is
something very special and thank you for inviting me” the UN official
explained.
Elman FC
“I think there are two reasons for holding today’s match. The first
reason is that this is the month of peace in the world and the 21st of
September is the international peace day and today the trophy they are playing for is the peace trophy. Somalia is one country which is now beginning to enjoy peace and it needs more and more peace” Mr. Kay said adding that the second reason was to share the pleasure and the world peace observation with Somali youth.
“We are now four years away from 2018 FIFA world cup and my real wish is that in 2018 we will see some of these players playing in the world cup and we will be cheering you all the way to Russia” he added.
Banadir Sports Club Captain Abdiweli Qanyare receives the trophy from Somali FA Prfesident Abdiqani Said Arab
“Thank you very much for inviting me and next time we will come here
with a team from the United Nations to have a friendly match against
Somali Football federation officials” the UN special representative
for Somalia concluded his speech at the world peace event in Mogadishu
on Sunday.
However, Banadir sports club defeated Elman FC in penalties after the
90-minute period it takes to play a football match ended in 2-2 draw.
Author: Shadrack Andenga Odinga