Meanwhile, on Thursday afternoon the Somali Football Federation
(SFF) organized a very colourful farewell ceremony at the Lido Sea Food restaurant
in the Lido beach resort of Mogadishu where the SFF officials thanked the
instructor for the huge efforts he did in a bid to educate Somali coaches at
home.
Somali Football Federation secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab who first addressed at the farewell ceremony praised the instructor for helping to pave the way for the arrivals of FIFA people in Somalia for the first time since 1986.
"Dear instructor on the behalf of the entire Somali Football
Family members around the world, I would like to ask you to accept our apologies
if there have been some irregularities of any other inconveniences during the
course, because we are human being and humans are not always complete”
secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab said during his farewell remarks on
Thursday afternoon.
"In one way this ceremony is a thanks giving for the expert
and in the other way it is intended to Farwell Mr. Ulric Mathiot for his
successful conduction of the 3rd course for Somalia since 2009---the
most tangible moment that we will never forget is that our brother Ulric Mathiot
showed the world that the capital Mogadishu is a safer zone and can host such
international level course” SFF secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab
emphasized during his speech on Thursday afternoon.
The FIFA expert Ulric Mathiot told the farewell ceremony that
he was fully jubilant at how the course went in Somalia with the high profile reception
he experienced during his stay in the country plus the commitment of Somali
Football Federation officials in terms of the promotion of football in the
war-devastated country.
"To my surprise you are giving me an apology whilst I am sure
that there was nothing wrong or no irregularities during the course, I hereby
confess that the SFF did a very profile organization for the course---I would
like reiterate what I have said here at the opening ceremony of the course and
it is that I conducted courses in so many countries, but the commitment and the
preparations made by Somalia was the topmost I have ever witnessed” the
instructor told his farewell ceremony at the Lido Sea Food restaurant on
Thursday afternoon.
"The weather in Somalia was so beautiful and I really liked
it” Instructor Ulric Mathiot told the ceremony Thursday.
At the end of the farewell ceremony Somali Football
Federation Mr Ali Said Guled Roble gave the expert the Somali National team
(Ocean Stars) jersey as present, while, coach Mohamed Abdulle Abokar presented the
coach different materials of Somalia’s cultural heritage on the behalf of his
colleagues at the course.
The hosting of FIFA course in the country was a very
milestone for Somali Football Federation as the course is believed to have opened
the door for the future FIFA events to be organised in Somalia whose FIFA
events were held outside the country for more than two decades due to unrest
and prolonged lawlessness in the horn of African country which experienced one
of the world’s most notorious wars since 1991.