Three African football legends—Samuel Eto’o, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jay-Jay Okocha—graced Somalia’s national stadium on Tuesday for a landmark exhibition match.
The game was part of a FIFA-backed peace tour aimed at restoring Somalia’s international sporting image after decades of conflict.
Since 1991, Somalia has suffered near-constant internal turmoil, forcing its national team to play mostly in neighboring Djibouti.
Mogadishu’s national stadium, once a battleground and Al-Shabaab base, was heavily damaged before a 2020 renovation revived it for sports.
Eto’o, Adebayor, and Okocha led an international team to an 8-4 victory over local players, electrifying a crowd hungry for hope.
Somalia’s Sports Ministry hailed the event as “a historic day,” marking the first high-profile match in three decades on home soil.
Adebayor spoke warmly to reporters, praying for peace so Somalia could rebuild, calling the occasion “beautiful and incredible.”
Security Minister Mohamed Ali Haga said the match aimed to shift global perceptions and prove Mogadishu can safely host African fixtures.
Security was tight, but hundreds of enthusiastic fans arrived early, many waving Somali flags and soaking in the rare spectacle.
Fan Mowlid Ali said watching Eto’o live was like sitting inside Barcelona’s famed stadium, a dream come true amid hardship.
Another spectator, Abdirahman Dhere, described the match as a symbol of Somalia’s resilience and slow revival from years of war.
Somalia has invited FIFA and CAF to reassess its security to host future international football matches on its soil.
Delegates from the Confederation of African Football and regional associations attended, signalling cautious optimism for Somalia’s sporting future.
