Three African football legends — Samuel Eto’o, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jay-Jay Okocha — participated in an exhibition match in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Tuesday. The event, part of a FIFA-supported “peace tour,” is aimed at helping Somalia re-enter the international football stage.
Somalia has faced decades of internal conflict, with the national team often forced to play matches in neighbouring Djibouti due to security concerns. The match, held at the recently renovated national stadium in the capital, was the first of its kind in roughly 30 years.
In 2020, officials reopened the stadium, which had previously hosted Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgents and later served African Union peacekeepers, for sporting events. Tuesday’s match marked a major step in Somalia’s efforts to change global perceptions and demonstrate improved security.
Star-studded Line Up
The visiting team, led by Cameroon’s Eto’o, Togo’s Adebayor, and Nigeria’s Okocha, won 8-4 against a local Somali side. “We just pray for God to give you guys peace, so that you can build your country,” Adebayor said following the match.
Somalia’s Security Minister Mohamed Ali Haga stated that the event aimed to demonstrate to the world that Mogadishu is peaceful and can host international matches once more. Security around the stadium was tight, and hundreds of fans arrived early to witness the game.
“This is a great day for me — to watch a player like Eto’o who has inspired me so much — I cannot miss such a great occasion,” said one fan, Mowlid Ali.
Representatives from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations were in attendance. Somalia has reportedly asked FIFA and CAF to reassess its security conditions for future fixtures.
