Kampala(Mogadishu24)-Somalia’s U-15 national football team has on Sunday suffered a 1-0 defeat to Tanzania in their first game of the CECAFA U-15 Competition held in Uganda.

Despite the goal which came in the second half, Somalia’s young players have produced an excellent performance.

The U-15 national team will face the Zanzibar in their second game on November 8th followed by Rwanda on 11th.

Mr. Ali Abdi Mohamed, the chairman of the Somalia Football Federation, stated that the Somali U-15 team has extensively prepared for the tournament and has the potential to win the remaining matches despite their first lose.

He emphasized the ongoing efforts to develop football in Somalia and highlighted their recent success in the U-17 tournament held in Addis Ababa, where Somalia emerged as champions.

“It us with immense pride that our U-15 football team players are in Uganda to participate in the U-15 CECAFA Competition. We are confident that they will perform well and make us proud, despite the result of the first match,” stated Ali Abdi (Shiine), Chairman of the Somali Football Federation.

“The government is putting a lot of efforts into developing and improving the football sector in our country to show our potential for success at regional and international levels,” he added.

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 has been placed in Group G alongside Algeria, Mozambique, Botswana, Guinea, and Uganda for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Somali athletes, whether born in Somalia or abroad, have become increasingly satisfied with Somalia’s representation.