Former Somali national football team coach Mohamed Hussein Ali popularly known as (Sheekaalow) has perished from heart attack, on Saturday morning, statement from Somali football federation confirmed.

“Somalia has missed a verdant coach and former national football striker whose remembrance will always be remaining in the minds of Somali football family” the press statement from Somali football federation said.

 

“Sheekhaalow’s sudden death marks a very shocking moment and the loss of a great man in Somali football” the statement carried.

 

The statement said that the former national team coach died from a sudden heart-attack as he was walking inside the Hamar weyne district in the government-controlled southeast of the capital early on Saturday morning.

 

Born in Mogadishu in 1955, the former coach was first seen in football stadiums in 1972 as he was playing for the Shibis district team in the Banadir regional district competition in that year.

 

His Shibis district won the match in 1972 and Sheekhaalow him self was warded as the goal scoring winner in the match after scoring fourteen goals. Because of his high performance in the competition Sheekhaalow was included into the Somali national soccer squad in the same year.

 

He represented Somalia in many international, continental and regional football matches before he retired in 1986 and since then he has coached the Somali national team and many other football clubs in the country including Kesco FC and the Mogadishu Seaport football club.

 

In the years between 2000-2003 Sheekhaalow was the coach of Somali football youth training project in the central Hiiraan region where he produced so many young footballers.

 

Somali football federation has announced three days of national mourning, as the condolence book was opened at the Somali football federation headquarters where grieved fans have been arriving in teams to register themselves for condolence since the former coach’s sudden death was announced early on Saturday morning.

 

The former coach is survived by nine children and a wife.

 

Somali Football Media Department

 

+2521 600000 Telephone

+2521 600601 Fax

 

Email:somalifootballmedia@gmail.com