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SOMALIA / FIFA
STORY: SOMALIA / FIFA
TRT: 2.17
SOURCE: AU / UN IST
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SOMALI / NATS
DATELINE: 19 AUGUST 2013, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA / FILE
19 AUGUST 2013, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
1. Wide shot, Banadiir football stadium with kids ready to play
2. Wide shot, young boys playing animated games
3. Close up, football boots with Chelsea logo
4. Med shot, referee blowing a whistle to start the games
5. Wide shot, young boys kicking the ball to each other
6. Close up, boy kicking the ball
7. Close up, artificial turf as kids play
8. SOUNDBITE (Somalia) Abdihakim Abdikadir Noor, young Footballer:
“I support Manchester United. I support them because they play very good football. My favorite player is Van Persie.”
9. Wide shot, boy dribbling through cones
10. Close up, tracking with young boy dribbling
11. Close up, FIFA trainer, Ulric Mathiot watching the plays
12. Wide shot, kids playing as FIFA trainer Ulric Mathiot watches
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Ulric Mathiot, FIFA trainer:
“Now we hope that the Somali football Federation, they can have a long time vision or long time programme. Where they can bring this sort of activity all around the country in fact in as much regions as possible. So touching as much kids as possible from six to twelve years old.”
14. Wide shot, you kids and their coach walking on the pitch
15. Med shot, kids playing around with the ball
FILE - 12 - 14 JANUARY 2013, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
16. Close up, ball rolling on barren field
17. Med shot, Elman Football Club (FC) players training
18. Close up, players lining up for a drill with remnants of war on the field
19. Close up, dilapidated sign at stadium entrance
20. Med shot, hole in wall created by mortar explosion
21. Close up, goal net, wall with bullet holes in background
19 AUGUST 2013, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Awil Ismail, Technical Director of the Somalia Football Federation:
“Somali youth are good in technique but the problem that we have since we have been at war for a long time. There has been a gap; in my point of view I hope that the coming years we will be better. Because we are now have some stability and we have grass course that FIFA has helped us. So in the future I hope that we will be one of the best in east Africa.”
23. Wide shot, silhouette of kids going squat jumps
24. Med shot, silhouette of kids playing with ball
It’s game-time and kids from various schools across Somalia’s capital Mogadishu have come out to play. Kids between the ages of 6 and 12 are being treated to an afternoon of fun and games at a football festival organized by FIFA in conjunction with the Somali Football Federation.
The football camp is the finale of a five-day grass-roots training course by FIFA for local coaches in the Horn of Africa nation. FIFA resumed its activities in Somalia a week ago after being absent for over 25 years.
The football camp recently had a grass-roots training course by FIFA for local coaches in the Horn of Africa nation. FIFA resumed its activities in Somalia a week ago after being absent for over a quarter of a century.
The international football governing body was forced to stop all activities in Somalia due to the insecurity brought about after the toppling over of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 and the civil war that followed. The last FIFA event in the country was in 1986, although other FIFA courses for the Somali football federation were done outside its boarders, in neighboring Djibouti.
The Islamist extremist group al Shabaab had put a ban on sporting activities including playing football and the watching of foreign leagues, like the Premier league. Those caught violating their rule were publicly punished and sometimes killed, but this did not kill the spirit of the game.
The Somali National Army kicked the Al Shabaab militants out of Mogadishu and other towns and cities, with support from the African Union Peacekeeping Force. This has not only brought relative peace and stability to most parts of the country; it has also brought the sport back to life. The game is now played on most every street corner in the city.
The Somali coaches were taught basic skills in developing fun football animated games for children, with the hope of providing an avenue for kids in Somalia to cultivate a love for the game. At the newly renovated Banadiir stadium, over 300 kids came out to showoff their skills and tell us of the teams they support.
“I support Manchester United.” Says Abdihakim Abdikadir Noor, a young player. “I support them because they play very good football. My favorite player is Van Persie.”
FIFA instructor Ulric Mathiot from the Seychelles agreed to come to Somalia to conduct the course and is confident that the game has a lot potential in the country.
“Now we hope that the Somalian football Federation, they can have a long time vision or long time programme.” Say’s Ulric Mathiot. “Where they can bring this sort of activity all around the country in fact in as much regions as possible. So touching as much kids as possible from six to twelve years old.”
The Banadiir Stadium was built in 1956, four years before Somalia's independence from Italy.
It was also under al-Shabaab control, but thanks to the dramatic change in security, and quick moves by the new government, the Somalia Football Federation is now calling the shots.
With money from FIFA, the Federation has laid artificial turf at the 7,500-capacity stadium and will soon begin repair work on seats, parking and other facilities that are currently riddled with grim reminders of the past.
“Somali youth are good in technique but the problem that we have since we have been at war for a long time. There has been a gap; in my point of view I hope that the coming years we will be better. Because we are now have some stability and we have grass course that FIFA has helped us. So in the future I hope that we will be one of the best in east Africa” says Awil Ismail, Technical Director of the Somalia Football Federation.
Somalia’s national team the Ocean Stars are currently ranked 200 in the world, a number they hope the can soon bring down as they score more goals. Awil Ismail is the technical director of the Somalia Football Federation and he is very optimistic.
With the determination showed here by the country’s football federation and the love for the game by the young players, Somalia is on the winning path and soon these stars will be flying their countries flag in regional and international tournaments.
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