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Dekedda Sports Club has secured a place in the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, marking the first time in nearly four decades that a Somali club has reached this stage of Africa’s premier club competition.<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n The historic achievement came on Friday at the Azam Sports Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where Dekedda SC overcame Djibouti’s Arta Solar7 with a thrilling 5-4 aggregate victory.<\/p>\n This result has not only electrified football fans across Somalia but has also signaled a potential renaissance for the country’s football on the continental stage.<\/p>\n Dekedda SC’s triumph ends a 36-year drought for Somali clubs in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.<\/p>\n The last time a Somali team progressed this far was in 1988 when Wagad FC reached the second preliminary round after a memorable victory over Rwanda’s Panthere Noires.<\/p>\n The achievement has drawn praise from the highest echelons of Somali football.<\/p>\n Ali Abdi Mohamed, President of the Somali Football Federation, expressed his delight in a phone call to the team delegation: “I am very delighted to hear of the good news that you progressed to the second preliminary round. Congratulations to Dekedda SC administration, players, technical staff and fans.”<\/p>\n The Somalia FA boss emphasized its broader implications for Somali football: “This triumph sends a clear message that Somali football is growing. We will continue to do our best to take Somali football to a greater position.”<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Dekedda SC faces a formidable challenge in the next round as they prepare to take on Tunisian giants Esperance in September.<\/p>\n This matchup will pit the Somali champions against one of Africa’s most decorated clubs, providing an opportunity to gauge the progress of Somali football on the continental stage.<\/p>\n Dekedda SC’s success story is particularly poignant when contrasted with the last Somali club to reach this stage.<\/p>\n In 1988, Wagad FC’s journey was cut short in the second preliminary round by Sudan’s Al Hilal, with a 7-1 aggregate loss.<\/p>\n Now, nearly 40 years later, Dekedda SC has the opportunity to go one step further and potentially reach the group stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dekedda Sports Club has secured a place in the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, marking the 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Football media department\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\nemail:media@footballsomalia.so<\/strong><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"