Youth coaches in Somalia trained at a FIFA course

Somali Football Federation in collaboration with FIFA successfully organized a five-day high level training course for youth coaches in the country.

The course which was held in the capital Mogadishu from 2-6 October 2016 gathered some 27 coaches and was conducted by FIFA expert, Ulric Mathiot [Seychelles].

On the behalf of FIFA, the instructor who addressed at the closing ceremony of the training course first thanked Somali Football Federation for the organization of the successful course. He also thanked the participants for their concentration and commitment during the course. “Youth football courses and grassroots programs are very indispensable for FIFA and that is why FIFA gives much priority to such courses. This is a new era in your football and I am hopeful that you will play a big role in developing football in your generation” the FIFA instructor told participants of the course.

Somali football federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, started his closing speech with sending a big thank you to FIFA. “On behalf of the entire football family in Somalia, I would like to thank FIFA for the quick acceptance to our request when we asked them to hold this course for us. FIFA always gives us a particular consideration knowing the situation under which we work” SFF president said.

He then went on to say “I also want to thank our brother Ulric Mathiot who has a remarkable history in Somalia. Since Somalia descended into violence and lawlessness in 1991, Ulric Mathiot became the first coaching expert who accepted to come to Somalia to pass his knowledge to our coaches and that is why we have a big respect for him and he has memory in our minds” the Somali FA president explained.

The president spoke about the main reason for the organization of the youth coaching course. “We organized this course for you simply to give you the knowledge and the capacity to build football from the bottom by training young boys who have no idea for football. If you do the kind of job we want to you to do, I on the behalf of Somali FA promise in front of you that you will get more other courses to help you promote your coaching knowledge and experience” the president told participants before announcing the closure of the course.