STORY:SOMALIAFOREIGNFOOTBALL

PLAYERS
DURATION:4:26
SOURCE:AMISOMPUBLICINFORMATION
RESTRICTIONS:Thismediaassetisfreefor
editorialbroadcast,print,onlineandradiouse.Itis
nottobesoldonandisrestrictedforother
purposes.Allenquiriestonews@auunist.org
CREDITREQUIRED:AMISOMPUBLIC
INFORMATION
LANGUAGE:ENGLISH/SOMALI/NATURALSOUND
DATELINE:RECENT/MOGADISHU,SOMALIA

SHOTLIST
1.Wideshot,viewofBanadirStadium
2.Medshot,footballfanswavingflag
3.Closeup,gamefootballonpodium
4.Wideshot,playerswalkingoutofthetunnel
5.Medshot,AbdiQaniSaidArab,President,SomaliaFootballFederation
(SFF)greetingtheplayers
6.Wideshot,SFFofficialsgreetingtheplayers
7.SOUNDBITE(English)AbdiQaniSaidArab,President,SomaliFootball
Federation(SFF):
Peoplethinkitsawarcountry,theythinkthereisnostability,theythinkthere
isnogoodgovernance,butthatsnotthecase,Somaliathereissomething
beautifullikeyouhaveseennow.Pleasecomeenjoywithus,encouragethe
youngplayersandtheyounggeneration.
8.Wideshot,matchinprogress
9.Medshot,playersettinguptotakeacorner
10.Wideshot,playertakingthecorner
11.Medshot,playerdribblingtheball
12.Closeup,playermarkinghisopponent
13.Wideshot,journalistprovidingcommentarytoradiostation
14.Medshot,journalistcommentating
15.Closeup,playertakingfreekick
16.Wideshot,HeeganFCtrainingatLidoBeach
17.Medshot,HarryGentlereceivingapass
18.Medshot,HeeganFCfanswatchingthetrainingsession
19.Medshot,HeeganFCcoachtalkingtoplayer
20.SOUNDBITE(English)HarryGentle,Midfielder,HeeganFC:
IbelievethattheoutsideworldwillseethatSomaliaisasafeplacetoplay
football,asafeplacetodobusinessandasafeplacetocomefortourism.So

itsagoodthingtobehere,andIalsowantotherpeopletoknowthatSomalia
isasafeplace.Theycancomeandimprovethefootball.Itsstillgrowingbut
themorepeoplecome,themoretheygettounderstandthatfootballis
somethingthatbringspeopletogether,thingswillchangeandthefootballwill
gohigherbytheday.
21.Wideshot,HeeganFCplayersdribblingtheball
22.Medshot,HeeganFCplayersdribblingtheball
23.Wideshot,HeeganFCplayersdribblingtheballasthecoachwatches
24.Medshot,Coachgivinginstructions
25.Wideshot,HeeganFCplayersdribblingtheball
26.SOUNDBITE(Somali)AhmedAbdiRahmanOmar,Coach,HeeganFC:
Wehavemanynewqualityplayers,fromotherlocalclubsaswellasNigerian
playerswhohavejoinedus.Wehopethattheexpertiseoftheboththelocal
andforeignadditionswillbeanadvantageforus,andenablinguswintowin
theleague.
27.Wideshot,HeeganFCplayersstretching
28.Medshot,HeeganFCplayersstretching
29.Closeup,HeeganFCplayersstretching
30.Medshot,HarryGentleleadingthestretchingsession
31.SOUNDBITE(Somali)DeqAbdulahiNur,Striker,HeeganFC:
Weareveryhappyaboutthisandwelcomeourbrothers.Wearehelping
themtosettlein,andwehopetolearnfromthemandhavethemlearnfrom
usaswell.
32.Wideshot,viewofBanadirStadium
33.Medshot,playersdribbling
34.Wideshot,ElmanFCstrikerattemptstoscore

SCRIPT

ItsthefirstmatchofthenewseasoninSomaliasNationLinkTelecom
Championship.

Fans,playersandofficialsalikehavebeenwaitingforthehotlycontested
premierleaguetokickoffsothatitstenclubscanvieforayearsworthof
braggingrightsandsponsorshipdeals.

Awellmaintainedpitch,orderlyfans,competentofficialsandprofessional
playersinspankingnewkit,arenotscenesmostpeopleexpecttoseewhen
theyvisitMogadishu,Somaliasseasidecapital.

Fordecades,SomaliaandMogadishuinparticularwereassociatedwith
violenceandlawlessness.Butperceptionsarechangingnowdueto
increasedsecurity,theformationofacentralgovernment,visiblesignsof
economicgrowthandtheevictionofextremistgroupAlShabaab,frommost

urbancentresinthecountrybySomaliassecurityforcesbackedbyAMISOM
peacekeepersis

Peoplethinkitsawarcountry,theythinkthereisnostability,theythinkthere
isnogoodgovernance,butthatsnotthecase,Somaliathereissomething
beautifullikeyouhaveseennow.Pleasecomeenjoywithus,encouragethe
youngplayersandtheyounggeneration,saidAbdiQaniSaidArab,who
headsSomaliasFootballFederation(SFF).

TodaysclashisbetweenarchrivalsHorseedFCandElmanFC,twoofthe
SFFstopperformingsquads.

TheSFFwasfoundedin1951,joinedFIFAin1962,theConfederationof
AfricanFootball(CAF)in1968andUnionofArabFootballAssociations
(UAFA)in1974.

Thebeautifulgamesufferedgreatlywhencivilwarbrokeoutin1991,but
concertedeffortsarebeingmadetopromotefootballasameansofbuilding
peace,healthyentertainmentandincomefromasportworthbillionsofUS
dollarsworldwide.

Stakeholdersaresoconvincedofthesectorspotentialthatseveralclub
ownershaverecruitedforeignplayerstogivetheirsquadacompetitive
advantage.

NigerianmidfielderHarryGentleplayedforKenyanteamslikeSofapaka,AFC
LeopardsandMuhoroniYouthsoverthelastfouryearsbeforecomingto
Somalia.

IbelievethattheoutsideworldwillseethatSomaliaisasafeplacetoplay
football,asafeplacetodobusinessandasafeplacetocomefortourism.So
itsagoodthingtobehereandIalsowantotherpeopletoknowthatSomalia
isasafeplace.Theycancomeandimprovethefootball.Itsstillgrowingbut
themorepeoplecome,themoretheygettounderstandthatfootballis
somethingthatbringspeopletogether,thingswillchangeandthefootballwill
gohigherbytheday,hesaid.

HewashiredinDecember2014byHeeganFCwhichiscurrentlyatthetopof
theleaguetables.AccordingtotheFCC,thereareatleastfourKenyans,two
NigeriansandtwoUgandanscurrentlyplayingprofessionallyinSomalia.

Wehavemanynewqualityplayers,fromotherlocalclubsaswellasNigerian
playerswhohavejoinedus.Wehopethattheexpertiseoftheboththelocal
andforeignadditionswillbeanadvantageforus,andenablinguswintowin
theleague,saidAhmedAbdiRahman,Heeganscoach.


Weareveryhappyaboutthisandwelcomeourbrothers.Wearehelping
themtosettleinandwehopetolearnfromthemandhavethemlearnfromus
aswell,addedDeqAbdulahiNur.

Officialsandlocalinvestorsarebankingonthepresenceofforeignplayers
notonlytowinmatches,butalsotolureinternationalsponsorswhichcould
reducetheSFFsdependenceonFIFAsdirectassistance.

TheleagueisofftoagreatstartwithElmanFCbeatingHorseed32,an
indicatorofhowactionpackedSomaliasfootballindustryalreadyis,andhow
quicklyitcouldreachitsgoals,giventherightsupport.

END