Mogadishu City Club roars back from 2-0 down to win General Daud Cup over Horseed FC
Mogadishu (AX) — Mogadishu City Club won the 2026 General Daud Cup on Monday with a stirring 3-2 comeback over Horseed FC, overturning a two-goal deficit to seize one of Somali football’s most coveted trophies.
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Horseed, the military side owned by the Somali National Army, struck twice in the opening stages, imposing themselves with direct play and early pressure. But the final swung sharply as MCC steadied, absorbed the shock and began to dictate key phases. A brace from striker Abdikadir “Benteke” Enow — later named Player of the Tournament — powered the turnaround before a third unanswered goal sealed the club’s first General Daud Cup triumph since its recent near-misses.
The victory felt bigger than a single night. MCC, who failed to lift the cup in the 2024–25 season as Dekedda FC claimed the title, showed resilience and game management under pressure, snapping a short drought in knockout silverware. For Horseed, a perennial force and one of the competition’s standard-bearers, the loss will sting: a commanding lead unraveled in a final they controlled for long stretches.
After the early blitz, MCC slowed the tempo and found a foothold. They began stringing together longer spells of possession, compressing space between their lines and asking Horseed to defend deeper for longer periods. The changes were subtle rather than sweeping — more composure on the ball, quicker support to the front line and smarter use of the flanks — but they shifted the balance of the match. By the time Benteke halved the deficit, the momentum was already turning.
MCC’s equalizer underlined the collective nature of the comeback: runners from midfield, crisp movement off the ball and a willingness to commit numbers in the box. The winner, coming after sustained pressure, rewarded the side’s patience and belief. It also reflected the discipline of a back line that, after a shaky opening, cut out secondary chances and kept Horseed from extending their lead when the game was still within reach.
For Benteke, the night capped a standout campaign. His brace embodied MCC’s edge in the decisive moments and justified the tournament’s top individual honor. Whether he was dropping into pockets to link play or lurking on the shoulder to finish, Enow offered precisely what finals demand: presence, timing and clean execution.
The General Daud Cup remains a pillar of Somali football, regarded as the country’s third most prestigious competition after the Somali Premier League and the Regional Championship. First staged in 1972 and named for General Daud Cabdulle Hirsi, founder of the Somali National Army, the tournament carries historical weight and a particular tension when Horseed are contenders. This year’s edition again featured 16 clubs drawn from the A, B and C divisions, creating classic stylistic contrasts and a proving ground for emerging talent.
That structure exposes top-flight sides to unfamiliar threats and rewards versatility. It also explains why finals like Monday’s can swing: teams that adapt mid-match, absorb different looks and manage momentum tend to survive. MCC’s journey fit that template. They were not perfect, but in the decisive hour they intervened in all the right places — the tackle that stopped a break, the early cross that forced a clearance, the second ball won just outside the box.
Horseed leave with hard questions and few easy answers. Their start was electric, their shape compact, but once MCC clawed one back, the gaps widened and their counters lost bite. Protecting a two-goal advantage demands control even without the ball; too often, they were forced into last-ditch interventions or drawn into fouls that relieved pressure. It was a reminder that finals are won as much by nerve and rhythm as by the first punch.
For MCC, the trophy rebalances the narrative after last season’s disappointment and underscores the club’s standing in the capital’s football culture. Knockout competitions have their own logic, but champions tend to share traits: short memories, quick adjustments and the capacity to ride waves without capsizing. MCC showed all three.
Somali football benefits when its marquee cups deliver drama and quality, and this final offered both. The sight of a civilian club rallying past the army’s flagship team carried symbolic weight too, a sporting contest framed by history but decided on the merits of the night: pressure, precision and a striker in form.
Key takeaways:
- Mogadishu City Club beat Horseed FC 3-2 after trailing 2-0, clinching the 2026 General Daud Cup.
- Striker Abdikadir “Benteke” Enow scored twice and was named Player of the Tournament.
- The General Daud Cup, launched in 1972 and named for General Daud Cabdulle Hirsi, is Somalia’s third most prestigious competition.
- Horseed’s early dominance faded as MCC gained control of possession and territory, turning momentum after the first goal back.
- The win restores MCC’s cup pedigree after failing to win the 2024–25 edition, which went to Dekedda FC.
Across five decades, the General Daud Cup has mirrored the country’s footballing evolution — resilient, improvised at times, and capable of producing cathartic finales. On Monday, Mogadishu City Club authored one of its memorable chapters, not by overwhelming Horseed from the start but by refusing to let the final be defined by its opening act.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
