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Fifa president Gianni Infantino lauds Somalia's use of Fifa Forward funds

Ali Abdi Mohammed

Fifa president Gianni Infantino (right) and Somalia Football Federation boss Ali Abdi Mohammed.

Photo credit: Pool

By  Nation Reporter

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has lauded Somalia Football Federation (SFF) boss Ali Abdi Mohammed over the latter's efforts to develop the sport.

The two leaders met in Paris on the sidelines of the ongoing Olympic Games.

Mr Abdi briefed the football boss on the current situation in Somalia, especially the football infrastructure under the Fifa programme, the use of annual grants from the world body, and introduction of the youth and women football.

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“Fifa is our biggest partner after the government. We are privileged and excited to walk this journey with them aimed at developing football and ensuring the youth expose their talents," said Mr Abdi.

Mr Infantino praised Somalia's use of Fifa Forward funds and stressed that greater infrastructure has been put in place to aid development through the Fifa Forward programme.

“Together with President Ali Abdi Mohamed, we had a detailed conversation about football's current situation in his country and the work that is being done to make the sport more accessible to everyone," said Mr Infantino.

Fifa Forward has supported Somalia with the upskilling of African association executives at the FIFA/CIES Football Executive Programme at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, as well as non-governmental organisations running football-related social development projects.

"The SFF has already made very good use of funds from FIFA Forward, including the construction of a new headquarters, and we talked about the best ways of using the programme to support Somali football in the future," the Fifa president continued.

"We also discussed the importance of providing playing opportunities for Somali national teams, and

"I also stated that Fifa will continue to support football development in Somalia and I look forward to continuing our work together."

Somalia has made strides in football, competing in several regional and continental events including Cecafa Championship, Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

The country also boasts a vibrant league that has attracted several professional players from Kenya, Sudan and as far as Nigeria.

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