Football Sweetens life for Somali orphans at Turkish School

Hundreds of Somali orphans at Turkey’s Anatolia Boarding school have high hopes and expectations of becoming future national team members, as they marked the end of the first six months of formal football training sessions.

The children aged between 9-15 years, had the opportunity to talk on their future expectations in football, when they met with Somali FA president, Abdiqani Said Arab, his deputy Ali Abdi Mohamed and other Somali FA senior officials during a working visit to the Anatolia Education Centre on 19th of August 2015.

The Turkish school is hosting hundreds of Somali orphans including 230 boys whose fathers were either killed in conflicts or died normally. Somali Football Federation contributed coaches and football equipment to the school where the orphans undergo formal training sessions outside their school periods and during holidays.

The chancellor of Anatolia Educational Centre, Mr. Abdulkader Mohamed Hirabe, who welcomed the Somali FA officials to the Centre, said that their visit to the school was an enormous encouragement for the boys adding that it will also increase the boys’ football ambitions and expectations of national team representation.

“These boys had always asked me when they will exhibit at Banadir Stadium, so your arrival here is an opportunity for them to talk to you about their needs in football and what they would like in the future,” Anatolia Educational Centre Chancellor, Mr. Abdulkader Mohamed Hirabe told Somali Football federation (SFF) officials during the visit. SFF senior vice president, Ali Abdi Mohamed, praised the Anatolia Educational Centre management for the role they are playing in the country’s football promotion, adding that it was SFF’s main policy to include football education into the school curriculum in Somalia.

The Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said Arab, added that SFF was always committed to prioritizing to educate children under football for hope programs at schools in the country.

“One of the main purposes of our visit to the school is to know how much eagerness these boys have for football and how many of them would like to become well known footballers in the future” the president said.

Coach Salah Farah Muhudin talks to his youngsters during a training session

when the president asked anyone who wants to be a professional footballer to raise up their hands, an indication that shows the popularity of football amongst the people of Somalia.

The president was accompanied by his senior vice president, Ali Abdi Mohamed, Secretary General Hassan Mohamed Mohamud, Deputy Secretary General Ali Mohamed Ahmed, assistant Secretary General Aweys Ahmed Jimaale and executive committee members Mustaf Elmi Afrah and Osman Jama Diraa. Launched more than two years ago, the Anatolia Education Centre signed a cooperative deal with Somali Football Federation early 2015.

The agreement was part of the expansion of SFF’s grassroots and youth programs to schools throughout the country.