Somalilandsun: As the world of sport slowly begins to return to somewhat normality, it is the announcement of huge changes to Somalian national football that has FIFA as well as Football fans around the world excited. But with the impact of Coronavirus still plaguing the league, what could this mean for sports in the country.
The Mogadishu Stadium
As the home of the Somali national team, there has been a huge focus in this stadium and the capacity that it has for hosting national games as well as what will be done to better their ability to host international games. However, with the effects of Covid-19, the future of the stadium remained in the balance as the lack of live sporting events and lack of audiences has left the 65,000-capacity stadium completely empty. This of course has meant that many clubs within the league have seen issues when it comes to finding the funds at this time.
Despite football being paused, however, there has been a huge push to get the international sport to Somalia to bring in a huge amount of revenue for the country as well as the teams that are involved. When asked about the renovations that have been put in place the president of the Somalia Football Federation said that it will aid the team in cutting costs when hosting the Ocean Stars for international games.
FIFA Certification For International Competition
Before these renovations took place, the Somali national team had been hosting national games in nearby Djibouti as there have been several insecurities in the area for decades. This has therefore meant that there has been a huge cost to the club as they have had to pay for the travel of other teams across the border. As the renovations have continued to be up to FIFA standards, there have been huge changes to the stadium such as the pitch as well as the stands and facilities that are on site. These changes have therefore led to FIFA passing the stadium as fit to host international games in the near future. This is huge for the country as it will reduce costs and bring a new lease of life to a sport that has been hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With a 16 year wait behind them now and new certification from FIFA, both international and national football can return to this glorious stadium that has been used as a military base for a large portion of time over the last 16 years. With new facilities and tighter security in the area, this has become one of the top stadiums in Africa to play.
The Impact Of This FIFA Changes In 2020
With Football being a huge sport for countries all over the world, the introduction of this new certification could not come at a better time for football not only for the Somali national team but also sporting in Africa as a whole. This, of course, means much more potential for football and the introduction of a much larger league in the area. This is something sports fans have seen in Kenya as the league has generated a huge amount of revenue that has proved highly profitable. Sports betting and the revenue generated from this is a trend that we have seen around the world as countries have seen huge amounts of revenue generated through both online sports betting and bookmakers. This is a trend that we have seen in other areas of Africa as several of Kenya’s leading betting sites have been rumoured to be making approximately Sh200 billion per year, this is a huge industry that could benefit Somali and other parts of Africa greatly. This revenue generated from online sports betting has been put back into the sport and the communities that they support aiding in the growth of the league in this area.
However, with Covid-19 putting a stop to live sporting events in the country at this time, the question remains. When will their first game be in the new stadium? With many hoping it will be sooner rather than later, all eyes are on the Somalia Football Federation and their handling of what is next for football in this country. Could we see something on par with the La Liga and the British Premier League? Only time will tell as this situation continues to develop.
Whether you are a fan of football across the globe or you are interested in the recent certification from FIFA, there are a huge number of exciting changes coming for the world of Football in Africa. Will you be tuning in to watch what is next for this part of the world?
