Sindo United tackle Somaliland national team in historic tie
Nigerian premier league clubs have voted to end the current season due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Plateau United, Enyimba and Rivers United qualifying for continental competitions. PHOTO | COURTESY |
What you need to know:
- Sindo United, sponsored by The Jefferson Group, has been invited by the Somaliland Ministry of Sports courtesy of the country’s embassy in Nairobi as part of its campaign for international recognition.
Kenya’s lower division side Sindo United will on Saturday take on the Somaliland national football side in the first ever international friendly to be played at the Hargeisa National Stadium in over three decades.
Sindo United, sponsored by The Jefferson Group, has been invited by the Somaliland Ministry of Sports courtesy of the country’s embassy in Nairobi as part of its campaign for international recognition.
Coached by former Kenya international Bonface Ambani, Sindo United arrived in the Somaliland capital Hargeisa Friday morning to a red carpet welcome by official of the Somaliland sports ministry led by Sports Minister Boos Mire, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Liban Gahnug, Director of Civil Service Commission Hamse Suldan, Deputy Governor of Marodi-jeh Khadar Barud and the Former Minister of Justice Ahmed Adare.
“This is a special game for us. It is the first ever time we are welcoming a foreign football team here and it means a lot to Somaliland,” Mire said.
The team held a training session at the Hargeisa National Stadium in the afternoon with coach Ambani saying the game is about building a lasting relationship between the two nations.
“I feel honoured to be part of a foreign team that plays here for the first time,” said Ambani.
“This should be the first step towards building strong sporting relations between Somaliland and the rest of Africa,” he added.
With Somaliland unrecognised internationally, the relatively unknown football club from Kenya, Sindo United are the first football ambassadors who are using sports to help Somalilanders achieve their push for self determination.
