The president of Somali Football Federation, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, has received a congratulatory message from the president of the world football’s governing body [FIFA] Mr. Gianni Infantino.
In his congratulatory letter president Infantino said “Please accept my warmest greetings and sincerest congratulations for your recent election as President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF).
The congratulatory message added “Your knowledge and leadership, your passion and experience will undoubtedly have an important impact on the development of our beautiful game in Somalia. Convinced of the potential of football in the country, you can count on my personal support and the help of FIFA to achieve this goal”
The FIFA Boss said in his letter that the doors of the Home of FIFA are always open for the recently elected president of Somali Football Federation, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, if he wishes to discuss more about the sport, its development and the promotion of its values.
FIFA President continued “I also seize the opportunity to convey my felicitations to the Vice-Presidents and the Members of the Executive Committee elected with you, and I wish you and your team good luck and success for all the challenges that lie ahead, in creating and witnessing a lasting legacy for the future of football in Somalia. Looking forward to meeting you soon, I send you, dear President, my best wishes for good health, as well as to your family, friends and loved ones”.
THE NEW PRESIENT’S INVOLVEMENGT IN THE SPORT.
The recently elected president of Somali Football Federation, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, is an individual of great sporting personality as lent a forceful commitment to development of not only the football, but also different sporting federations including the basketball, as he once served as the chairman of one of the strongest basketball clubs in the country prior to his joining of football.
The new president’s sporting involvement dates back to 1990s, when he led a basketball club and finally ended up in the beautiful game [The football]. In mid 2000s, the newly-elected president of Somali Football Federation, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, was privileged to help revive the Somali Police-owned Heegan Football Club, which a few years’ time, promoted to the Somali Premier League and represented the country in a number of African competitions.
In 2010, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, was elected as Somali Football Federation executive committee member and in mid-2012 he was elected as senior vice president of the SFF in an extra ordinary congress held at Global Hotel in Mogadishu, the post he held up until February 2022, when he was inaugurated to serve as an acting president of the SFF, after the ousting of former president of the federation.However, on 22nd of February this year, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, was elected as president of the federation at the 8th election congress. He won the confidence of 34 out of the 46 congress members during the election congress held at Elite Hotel in the Lido beach resort of Mogadishu.
MOST SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENT IN SOMALI FOOTBALL’S HISTORY.
In October, last year while still serving as acting president, Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, was recognized as the most successful football president in the war-weary country’s footballing history after Somalia lifted its first ever cup of the Council of East and Central Africa football Associations [CECAFA]. With winning CECAFA trophy Somalia also qualified for its first ever Africa Cup of Nations Under 17 tournament, the Algeria 2023.