Sports

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Three federal member states — South West, Jubaland and Galmudug — have withdrawn from Somalia’s Federal Member States football tournament, accusing the Somali Football Federation of mismanagement, a lack of accountability and failing to provide basic technical support for a credible national competition. The coordinated boycott threatens Somalia’s flagship domestic showcase and lays bare a deeper governance crisis at the heart of the game. Tuesday December 16, 2025 FILE — Spectators fill the stands…

Somalia, AU and UN issue urgent donor appeal to sustain Somali Security Forces support MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) on Tuesday launched an urgent appeal for new donor contributions to keep critical support flowing to Somali Security Forces. The call came during a Somali Security Forces (SSF) Trust Fund event in Mogadishu attended by Somalia’s National Security Advisor, the U.N.…

Monday December 15, 2025 Federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Homeland Security Investigations officers, stand outside a restaurant during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. CREDIT: Councilmember Jason Chavez As ICE raids intensify in Minnesota, Somali families in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside, along Lake Street and in Rochester are quietly drawing up “know your rights” plans—teaching children not to open doors to strangers, memorizing key phone numbers and gathering…

AfDB approves $76.37 million in additional financing to boost Somalia’s road corridors, cross-border trade Sunday December 14, 2025 The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved $76.37 million in additional financing for Somalia’s Road Infrastructure Program, strengthening a key segment of the Horn of Africa corridor linking Somalia with Ethiopia and Djibouti and aimed at accelerating regional trade and integration. In a statement issued Thursday, the bank said the program is designed to “stimulate cross-border…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State security forces have destroyed more than 100 Islamic State bases in the Cal-Miskaad mountains over the past year, sharply degrading the extremist group’s capabilities in northern Somalia, the region’s police chief said Thursday. Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire said the campaign, conducted under Operation Hilaac, has eliminated key ISIS fighters and reduced the group’s military capacity by nearly 85 percent. He said troops dismantled weapons caches, supply depots and facilities used to manufacture…

Thursday December 11, 2025 MOGADISHU — The Somalia Football Federation will restart the Federal Member States and Benadir Regional football tournament in January 2026 after a two-year break, reinstating one of the country’s most visible platforms for regional competition and talent identification. SFF President Ali Abdi Mohamed Shiinno said the draw is set for Dec. 22, with matches beginning Jan. 24 under a revised national calendar. The federation will run the event directly, while the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports…

Girls’ basketball game in Mogadishu doubles as rally against gender-based violence MOGADISHU, Somalia — A girls’ basketball match in Mogadishu’s Shibis district became a platform for visibility and protection on Thursday as the Somalia Sisterhood initiative used sport to spotlight the fight against gender-based violence during the global 16 Days of Activism campaign. Two teams, Somalia Sisterhood and Super Sign, faced off in an energetic game attended by officials from the Benadir Regional Administration, the Somali Police…

MILAN — Liverpool found respite and resolve at the San Siro, edging past Inter Milan in the Champions League without Mohamed Salah and offering embattled manager Arne Slot the most significant win of his tenure to date. Dominik Szoboszlai’s nerveless conversion from the penalty spot and a disciplined clean sheet ended Inter’s 18-match unbeaten home run in Europe and delivered Liverpool’s first away Champions League victory without Salah since 2009. The significance ran deeper than the scoreline. After a fraught 72 hours and…

Jules Kounde’s towering brace turned a tense night Barcelona’s way, lifting the Catalans to a 2-1 comeback win over Eintracht Frankfurt and shoring up their UEFA Champions League league-phase campaign. The French defender headed in twice within three second-half minutes at Montjuic, rescuing Barcelona after Ansgar Knauff’s 21st-minute strike had put Eintracht ahead against the run of play. The victory nudges Barcelona to 13th in the 36-team league table—still short of the top-eight cutoff for direct passage to the round…

Somali Danab commandos arrest two suspected al-Shabab members in Lower Shabelle raid One detainee identified as son of senior militant commander as operation near Tooratoorow targets extortion network, officials say File photo: Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers ride on a military vehicle during a security patrol in southern Somalia. The SNA’s elite Danab commandos have intensified operations in Lower Shabelle as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt al-Shabab activity across the region. MOGADISHU — Somali Danab…