A highly-colored ceremony to mark on the wind-up of the
9-team competition, the first official football league for the Northeastern
State, took place in the commercial capital of Boosaaso on Saturday 23rdof September 2017. The league teams are: The winners, Bari Football Club,
Garowe City FC, COMSED FC, Boosaaso city FC, FC Horseed, Homboboro FC, SBC FC,
Somtel FC, and the lowest ranked Qardho FC.
Somali Football Federation [SFF] president, Abdiqani Said Arab, who addressed at the closing ceremony, said that the organization of such football league in the country’s states was part of the SFF’s Spread the Football program which composes of a number of development projects.
"Today we are here for the conclusion of the official
football league for the Puntland State, but this is part of a nationwide
development programs which are intended to promote football in all States
affiliated to the federal government of Somalia” SFF president, told the
closing ceremony on Saturday.
Invested by the Somali Football Federation, the
organization of the Puntland State football league came after two years of
consecutive development programs carried out in all regional states in the
country and as planned each state will have its own official football league. The development programs that have been running for the
past two years had seen football administrators, coaches and referees trained
under the Spread the Football initiative.
"In the first year the SFF provided equipment with all
clubs in the league and made all necessary facilitations to get the official
league on track and I am happy that everything has gone smoothly” the president
said. "The Puntland Football Association offices are also in operation with
the SFF has been paying the monthly running cost and this will continue”
president Abdiqani Said Arab noted in his address.
Now that the first official football league was done, the
teams are prepared to continue from there. They know how to secure sponsorships
to be able to cover all their needs next year. But Somali Football Federation president, Abdiqani Said
Arab, pledged that the SFF will continue its development programs in the region
adding that other necessary facilitations to help continuation of the maiden
football league will also continue.
On his side, the minister for youth and sport of the
Puntland State of Somalia, Abdirahman Sheik Ahmed who addressed at the closing
ceremony first thanked Somali Football Federation, the Puntland State football
Association and all those who contributed to the implementation of the first
ever official football league in the State.
"The organization of the league has written a new
history, thanks to the Somali Football Federation president Abdiqani Said Arab
and his committee members for the good start. I also want to commend the owners
and managers of the 9 football clubs who competed in the maiden football league”
minister Abdirahman Sheik Ahmed told the closing gathering.
"As a minister of sport for the Puntland State, I have had
several discussions with Somali Football Federation on the renovation of football
stadiums in the Puntland State and I want to announce that Somali Football
Federation will soon start implementing an artificial football Turf in the
Puntland State” the minister explained before announcing the closure of the
first ever official football league in the Northeastern Somali State of
Puntland.
Somali
Football Federation Media Department
Email:info@somsoccer.com