The Somali national football team faced a 3-1 defeat in their first match against the Algerian team last night, at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.

Somalia conceded the first goal in the second minute after Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi netted an own goal from Riyad Mahrez’s cross. Baghdad Bounedjah scored the second goal in the 31st minute, concluding the first half with a 2-0 for Algeria.

The Ocean Stars have shown a strong effort in the second half with Issa Adim Abatari scoring in the 65th minute to make it 2-1. Islam Slimani scored a header from inside the box in the 80th minute, sealing a 3-1 win for Algeria.

In recent years, football in Somalia has shown crucial improvement, with the Somali people acknowledging the national team’s success in recent competitions and their impressive performances.

Last year, Somalia’s U17 national team won the U-17 CECAFA tournament held in Ethiopia.

Somalia is in Group G alongside Algeria, Mozambique, Botswana, Guinea, and Uganda for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.