The Somali Football Federation has inaugurated its first ever regional football league in the port city of Kismayo, about 500 kilometers south of the capital Mogadishu.
The new league is part of a planned development structure announced by Somali Football Federation president Abdiqani Said Arab in August last year.
Kismayo is the provincial capital of the semi-autonomous Somali State of Jubbaland. Eight teams from cities and towns in the three regions that make up the Jubbaland state will play in the league which is the blueprint for the launch of other leagues to be held in other semi-autonomous Somali states.
The opening game between Dowlada Hoose and Koban FC was watched by thousands of spectators including key government officials and football federation leaders. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
“After a long time of preparations and spreading football knowledge across the country, we have finally launched the regional football league in Somalia which is one of our long-standing ambitions. I congratulate Jubbaland for becoming the first Somali State of the federal government to host a regional football league. This is an iconic history for the region,” said Abdiqani Said Arab said in a statement.