Somalia’s U-17 national team secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Kenya on Tuesday to advance to the semi-finals of the CECAFA U-17 Championship, a qualifying tournament for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
The match was played at Kigali Pelé Stadium in Rwanda’s capital, where Somalia delivered an impressive performance to seal their place in the last four.
Mohamed Osman opened the scoring for Somalia in the 41st minute, giving his side a first-half advantage. Despite Kenya’s efforts to find an equaliser, Abdullahi Hashi doubled Somalia’s lead in the 85th minute to confirm the victory.
The win followed Somalia’s 1-1 draw against defending CECAFA champions Tanzania, who previously finished runners-up at the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.
Somalia completed their group-stage campaign unbeaten, demonstrating the team’s growing strength and competitiveness at youth level.
Group Three produced an unusual situation, with Somalia and Tanzania finishing with identical records.
Both teams collected four points, scored three goals, conceded one and recorded a goal difference of +2. Their head-to-head encounter also ended in a 1-1 draw.
As a result, both nations advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament.
Somalia’s qualification marks an encouraging step forward for the country’s football development, particularly in nurturing young talent and strengthening the national team’s prospects on the continental stage.
The team’s victory sparked a wave of congratulatory messages across social media from Somalis and football fans around the world, who praised the young players for their outstanding performance and hailed the achievement as a proud moment for Somali football.
Mustaqbal
