Federation of Uganda Football Associations

FUFA House, Plot 879, Wakaliga Road - Mengo

P.O. Box 22518, Kampala, Uganda Fax: +256 41 272702, Website:www.fufa.co.ug,Email:fufaf@yahoo.com

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

Press Release

Date: Saturday 10^th November 2012

Somali’s Ocean Stars arrive in Kampala

Somali National football ’A’ team, ‘The Ocean stars’ touched Entebbe International Airport Friday night to start preparations ahead of this year’s Cecafa-Tusker Cup that kicks off on November 24 here in Kampala City.

FUFA Protocol officer WOI Boniface Oryem was at the Airport to receive the 13-man Somali delegation currently camped at Mandela Hotel adjacent Mandela National stadium. According to Amir Hassan, an advance party officer who arrived in Kampala four days earlier, the first group comprised only players.

Amir said 11 others were due to arrive in Kampala this Saturday evening while a few other professional players from UK, USA, Holland and Kuwait would join the team later. The Ocean Stars will have a two-week training here before the official kick off of the tournament. Somali Federation is meeting their costs until November 21 when Cecafa will take them over.

“Somali Football Federation [SFF] has done all efforts it could and we are hopeful of good outcome this year” Said the Federation Secretary General Abdi Qabi Said Arab in Mogadishu before the team’s departure on Friday.

He praised the efforts by the Somali football coaches outside the country whom he said had prepared talented players for their National side. Those coaches include SFF administrative representative in UK Abdi Olad Rage and Abdirashid Islow.

  

Somalia has experiencing one of the world’s most notorious civil wars for the past two decades, but becomes the sole country that had never missed a single international, continental or regional competition. Cecafa General Secretary Nicholas Musonye describes Somalia as ‘a football loving nation’.