International Women’s Day on 8 March 2024 marked a milestone in women’s football in Somalia. It was the date of the first ever official futsal game to be played by Somali women in the capital city of Mogadishu. Cultural barriers which had once prevented women from playing any form of football were broken down thanks to the tireless efforts of the Somali Football Federation (SFF). The SFF wants to create a sustainable future in Somalia and for them, women’s football is more than just a sport – it’s a tool for social transformation and development. In pursuit of their goal, the federation ran awareness workshops over several months as a way of changing the views of Somali parents who wouldn’t allow their daughters to play football. “Our efforts have paid off and we will continue running our awareness workshops for parents and girls and our training programmes since this is a strategy that has produced positive results,” explained Ibtisam Yassin, Head of Women’s Football at the SFF. In order to raise the visibility of women’s football in society and ultimately in the national football landscape, the SFF is working towards boosting young girls’ belief in the sport and in themselves under the motto “TimeForWomen’sFootball”. Organising the first ever women’s football tournament under the theme “BEYOND BARRIERS” in Somalia represented another step in this direction and it is hoped that this will help kick off a dedicated women’s league. Two groups of four teams each took part in the competition which started on 30 October and ends on 10 November 2024.

“The launch of the first-ever Women's Football Tournament in Somalia with the help of FIFA, through the Women's Football COVID-19 Relief Fund, is yet another milestone in line with an important pillar in the recently published FIFA Women's Football Strategy 2024-2027 - to grow participation,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Where nobody wants to go, we are present! Through football, at FIFA, we are proud to give a little hope and joy to all girls and women of Somalia. So, congratulations and best wishes to everyone involved, as well as the Somali Football Federation, as they look to establish a sustainable future in Somalia, accepting women’s football as a branch of sports and a tool for social transformation and development."

The President of the SFF, Ali Abdi Mohamed, also expressed his joy and pride at this special moment. ‘I am more than happy to announce that today, 30 October 2024, was a historic day for us! We are launching the first women’s football tournament in Somalia, featuring eight teams divided into two groups. I would like to thank FIFA for making it possible for us to host this tournament," he said, stressing that this initiative is just the beginning in terms of helping Somali women to become active on the international football stage.

Thanks to the assistance provided via the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Plan Infantino referred to, the SFF was able to invest more in women’s football and to develop a strategy for it – in line with the FIFA Women's Development Programmes. Currently, 189 FIFA member associations have a strategy in place for women’s football. The SFF was assisted with the drawing up of its strategy by Doreen Nabwire, Women Development Officer at the Football Kenya Federation. Nabwire, who also shares her experiences with member associations as a FIFA Women’s Football Expert, recently celebrated Kenya’s first appearance at a FIFA women’s tournament with her home nation’s women’s U-17 team. Kenya presented its strategy back in July 2021 and can already point to clear success stories.

It is a path that Somalia is attempting to emulate. In addition to launching a dedicated women’s league and running regional tournaments, there are plans to increase youth competitions and to work more closely with schools, among other initiatives. A further area of focus is on training players, coaches and referees and organising coaching courses specifically aimed at women. The SFF is convinced that with investments in these areas, women’s football will continue to grow and that they will be able to achieve their goal of creating an integrated and sustainable set-up that will allow women and girls to get more involved in football.