Somaliland Hosts Kenyan Club In An International Friendly

Somaliland national team and two other football clubs in the country are set to play Kenya’s club side, in the first-ever international friendly to be played at the Hargeisa National Stadium in 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 (Somaliland) campaign for international recognition.

Coached by former Kenya international Bonface Ambani, Sindo United arrived in the Somaliland capital Hargeisa on 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.

The team held a training session at the Hargeisa National Stadium in the afternoon with coach Ambani saying the game was not about who wins but to build relations between Kenya and Somaliland.

The visiting team is scheduled to play a football match with a club from Hargeisa and another from the eastern region of the country.

With Somaliland unrecognized internationally, the relatively unknown football club from Kenya, Sindo United is the first footballing ambassadors who are using sports to help Somalilanders achieve their push for self-determination.

Somaliland is an independent state in the Horn of Africa, which is not recognized by any other country. It declared sovereignty in 1991.