Today, the Festival Youth Tournament was officially launched at Eng. Yariisow Stadium, marking another important milestone in the development of grassroots football in Somalia.
The opening ceremony was officiated by the President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF) and Vice President of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, who reaffirmed the Federation’s commitment to investing in youth football as the foundation for the future success of Somali football.
The Festival Youth Tournament has been organized with the primary objective of identifying, nurturing, and developing young football talent from an early age. By providing a competitive and educational environment, the tournament seeks to enhance players’ technical abilities, tactical understanding, discipline, teamwork, and overall character, while encouraging greater participation in the sport.
The competition features three age categories:
- Under-15 (U-15)
- Under-13 (U-13)
- Under-11 (U-11)
These categories have been carefully selected to ensure that young players receive age-appropriate opportunities to compete, learn, and progress throughout their football journey.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, President Ali Abdi Mohamed emphasized that youth football remains one of the Somali Football Federation’s highest priorities. He noted that investing in young players today is essential to building stronger clubs, more competitive national teams, and a brighter future for Somali football both regionally and internationally.
The Festival Youth Tournament also provides an important platform for coaches, scouts, and football development officials to identify promising talents who may eventually progress through the Federation’s development pathway and represent Somalia at various national team levels.
The tournament will be played throughout the school holiday period, giving hundreds of young players the opportunity to showcase their abilities, gain valuable match experience, and compete in a safe, organized, and inspiring football environment.
The Somali Football Federation continues to strengthen its grassroots development programs through initiatives such as the Festival Youth Tournament, reaffirming its long-term vision of building a sustainable football structure that develops talented players from the grassroots level to elite competition.