Somali football defies adversity

By Robin toskin
As he shook hands one by one with his players after the 1-0 loss to hosts Tanzania in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, Somalia coach Dahir Rage told his charges "hold your heads up, you are not disgraced."

Captain, Abdigadir Oman, particularly appeared downcast. The look in his eyes suggested, he thought a draw would have been a fair result.

"The Ocean Boys" as Somalia are referred to, had given their all and kept a clean sheet until the 55th minute when Michael Chuma breached their defence for Tanzania’s only goal.
"We shall be back, organised and better next year in Uganda," vowed Rage as he patted the captain’s back.

It is easy to dismiss Rage’s vow since it is Somalia and because with the war that has ravaged the Horn of Africa country, nothing can be certain. But if what Canada-based Rage, nicknamed Bodaye, said that he would comb the whole of Europe, North, Central and Latin America for players of Somali origin, then Cecafa members should brace themselves for tougher encounters in future competitions.

"We have many players out there. What needs to be done is to bring them together. I believe we can do it with a little support from any quarter," Rage says.

The outfit in Dar es Salaam defending the sky blue flag has been unbelievably combative. Rage’s boys gave Tanzania’s coach Brazilian Marcio Maximo questions to answer from an insatiable battery of journalists after slim 1-0 loss to the hosts.

Elementary mistakes aside, theirs is raw determination - a collective spirit desiring to triumph in adversity. Against Tanzania, for instance, they took the game to their hosts, defended in numbers, stifled explosive Al Tadhamon (Kuwait) duo of Nizar Khalfan and Danny Mrwanda and Michael Chuma of Vaerlose (Denmark) to the distress of the home fans.

Coming from a country that has not known peace since the early 90’s and without a running football league in the past three years, it was hard to believe they could last 90 minutes of intensive play, let alone three group matches in a week.

"We trained in Djibouti for four weeks before coming here. Our Djibouti brothers gave us the chance to live and train in their country after the World Cup preliminary qualifier which we lost 1-0," said Rage.

"It is really hard to motivate these players especially when they are losing their loved ones each passing day back home. They are also not playing for any monetary gain and from whom anyway if they were to? Theirs is to keep telling the world Somalia exists," explains Rage.

Presence of Ethiopian troops

"We have always taken Cecafa Challenge Cup seriously and we will continue doing all that is humanly possible to honour matches in this tournament," he adds.

"The presence of Ethiopian troops on our soil has not made things any easier. Football has become secondary in view of their presence. People have to think first of how to defend their motherland. We have been sending out word around seeking anybody who could play and these are some of the players who responded. It kills me to see the government sanctioning their presence," Rage said dismissing repercussions of his statement.

"Don’t worry about me. I will be safe. I will fly directly to Canada after the championship," he says.

Somalia assembled in Djibouti from where pay television channel, GTV, the tournament’s sponsors airlifted them to Dar es Salaam.

Funds from the world football governing body, Fifa, have been instrumental in helping the Somalia Football Association meet its financial obligations, said Rage.

"The FA president Said Nur, too, has helped the team a great deal, but as you know an individual’s contribution is limited."

Rage took time off his youth coaching job in Canada to volunteer his services after Djibouti bundled Somalia out of the World Cup qualifiers in a one-legged tie in early November. For the four weeks, he has been in charge, he has instilled defensive discipline in the team and is still working on their individual ball handling techniques.

"It will take time, but you can be sure to see a changed side next time. Once I have a few experienced players, it will be easy to build a team around them," Rage enthuses.

One of Somalia’s big names, striker Mohammed "Sharkey" Nor, is reportedly playing in the Norwegian league. Issa Midnimo, who played for Tanzania’s Simba, is also said to be in Norway after a stint in Malta. Egypt-based defender Mostaf Sheikh "France" Hassan too is one of the players Rage targets to bring to the fold.

Current captain Abdiqadir Omar Ibrahim fondly referred as Gadudow which means red is happy to mingle with the rest of East African neighbours.

"It makes us feel we are part of a family. We are going through difficult years but that won’t last forever," Gadudow says summing up the infectious spirit of determination pervading their camp based in Liibna Hotel in Dar es Salaam. As I left their hotel after the interview which started in their van after the loss to Tanzania and infected too, with the spirit I could stop asking myself why my team Harambee Stars would lack such a fight spirit, even if an iota.