African Football Stars Meeting with Somali President Highlights Security, Hope

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday hosted African football greats Samuel Eto’o, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jay-Jay Okocha at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu, in a high-profile visit hailed as a landmark for the country’s image and youth empowerment efforts.

The meeting, held under tight security, was seen as a powerful endorsement of Somalia’s ongoing recovery and efforts to reclaim its place on the international stage after years of conflict and instability.

“This is more than a visit — it is a statement to the world that Somalia is on the rise,” President Mohamud said, describing the occasion as a proud moment for the nation. “Our youth deserve role models, and these legends inspire hope and ambition.”

The delegation also included the heads of the Somali Football Federation, Ali Abdi Mohamed, as well as the presidents of the football federations of Djibouti and South Sudan — Suleiman Hassan Waberi and Augustino Maduot Parek. Somalia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Abdiqadir Cali, was also present.

The visit by the football icons is seen as part of a broader push to promote peace and development through sport, a unifying force in Somali society. Football remains a critical outlet for youth across the country, offering not only recreation but also a path to purpose in a nation rebuilding from decades of turmoil.