Somalia Sees Slow Growth of Women’s Football, Hiiraan Online Reports

Friday March 27, 2026

In Mogadishu, a crowd of hundreds turned a football match into a statement of change—watching two women’s teams compete at Eng. Yariisow Stadium on February 17, 2026, after years when such scenes were nearly unthinkable in the conservative, conflict-torn country. The U17 Somalia players trained as the women’s game continued despite criticism from some religious conservatives who describe it as “un-Islamic.” (Photo by Hassan Ali ELMI / AFP)

For many in the stands, Tuesday’s match felt like a breakthrough. Just a few years earlier, a local fixture featuring young women playing football in the capital would have faced severe obstacles. Today, spectators gathered openly to cheer as the game unfolded.

That shift comes as Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group that has long opposed entertainment—particularly when women play—still exerts influence behind the scenes in Mogadishu. But the security environment has improved enough for matches to go ahead, even as the city remains sensitive.

At Tuesday’s event, the main stand was largely segregated, though some men and women still sat together. The Ilays women’s team went on to dominate, defeating Nasiib 5-0, yet the scoreline did little to blunt the sense of occasion.

“If you were in Mogadishu a couple of years ago, an occasion like this, with two girls’ football clubs playing, would not have been possible… but with time, things are improving,” said Ali Muhidin, one of the spectators.

The women’s football championship began in 2024 with 80 players. By nearly two years later, participation has expanded to 600 players across 10 teams, drawn mostly from Mogadishu but also from other parts of Somalia.

Somali Football Federation President Ali Abdi Mohamed said few could have predicted the progress. “No one could have imagined that one day Somali women would play football in their country, where even men were forbidden to play by fighters who had declared football ‘un-Islamic’,” he told AFP.

He added that what once seemed impossible is now happening. “But something we couldn’t even dream of has become a reality,” Mohamed said.

While not all families in Somalia—predominantly Muslim and still deeply conservative—allow their daughters to take part, the federation said there have been no serious complaints that threaten the program.

Somalia’s football culture has long leaned toward Europe, even as local development lagged. In FIFA’s men’s rankings, Somalia sits at 200th, ahead of only a small number of microstates.

The women’s national side played its first friendly match in October in Djibouti, and it is not currently listed by the international federation. That status is expected to change soon as the “Ocean Queens” prepare for their first international tournament: an under-17 competition in May in Tanzania.

For the players, the goal goes beyond the field. “For women to play football is not shameful or taboo,” said Ramas Abdi Salah, a midfielder for the Ocean Queens. Like her teammates, she wears thick tights and a long-sleeved shirt under her kit, along with a black headscarf covering her hair.

Speaking at Tuesday’s match, the 17-year-old said she has not faced backlash. “As you can see, I’m fully covered except for my face and my hands. I haven’t received any bad comments,” she said, adding that her family supports her.

Even with setbacks—a goalkeeper, Najma Ali Ahmed, conceded five goals in the match—the momentum appears to be growing rather than fading.

“I’m sending a message to female footballers to work toward the dream of joining the national team,” Ahmed said.