Elman wins Somali soccer champion League

With three matches yet to play before the end of the championship, Elman Football club has on Thursday afternoon won Somalia’s 2010-2011 first division soccer championship, the biggest event that Somali Football Federation holds.

Thursday’s match between Elman and Banaadir Telecom was one of he hottest matches since the championship started in the capital late last year and it ended in 1-1 draw, but that was also a golden chance for Elman who needed only one point to win the trophy.

Banaadir was committed to wining, so that it could enter in the 3^rd place of the championship, while Elman had two chances, because it could be the champion with a win or draw and that is why it won the trophy by drawing with Banaadir during Thursday’s match.

Before that mach kicked off the president of Somali Football Federation Said Mahmoud Nur who addressed both teams urged them to show fair play; “you see that thousands of fans have occupied the stadium hours before the match kicks off, so we want you to come with god exhibition” the SFF president told both teams.

In the early minutes of the match both teams launched consecutive attacks on each other’s goals, because each one was committed to wining and in the 30^th minute of the first half Elman’s Sa’ad Saleh Hussein scored the lone goal for his team. As soon as the ball went into Banaadir’s net, thousands of fans stood to celebrate for the beautiful goal.

The first half of the match ended in 1-0 with Elman boys having the lead, but in the 66^th minute of the second half Banaadir Telecom’s Nune Abdi Abti Doon put into Elman’s goal from a free kick that rocked Elman’s goalnet.

This goal changed the atmosphere of the whole stadium, as fans of SITT were also supporting Banaadir, because they wanted Elman to be beaten so that SITT may compete for the trophy if it wins today’s match against Heegan, but that did not happen and Elman left with the trophy.

Somali NOC president Aden Hajji Yeberow, NOC first vice president and head of International relations Duran Ahmed Farah, SFF president Said Mahmoud Nur and his deputy Ali Said Guled jointly awarded the Jubilant Elman players and their coaches with gold, silver and bronze medals.

“Today we are here to award the winning team—this event gives the world a very clear signal about the huge job that Somali NOC and its member federations are doing in the country and that the continuing unrest is not deterring us from going forward” the Somali NOC president said praising the SFF for the consecutive activities.

Elman FC and senior National team captain Yasin Ali Egal was presented the trophy which was the largest and the most beautiful trophy ever seen in Somalia. “I say congratulations to you—this is the award of what you have been struggling for the past several months, I hope you will sleep with pleasure and thrill to night” The Somali Football Federation president said as he was presenting the cup to the captain.

SFF president said that next month a very large ceremony will be held in the capital where thousands of dollars will be presented to the three top teams of the competition. Also Elman’s striker Abdi Aziz Mohamed Ali will be awarded as the top goal scorer.

Under the leadership of the youngest ever coach in Somalia Yusuf Ali Nur Elman has got the chance to represent Somalia in this year’s CECAFA Kagame Club champion which will kick off in Khartoum in June 21^st this year.

This was the second major and historical success in less than 5 months for Somali Football Federation which held the regional soccer tournament in December last year. Despite lawlessness and armed confrontations in the country the even was the first of its kind ever held in Somalia because youths from 15 regions were assembled while only 8 regions used to take part in the regional event before the collapse of Somalia in 1991.