Civil war turned Somalia's main soccer stadium into an army camp. Now it's hosting games again
A stadium in Somalia’s violence-prone capital is hosting its first soccer tournament in three decades, drawing thousands of people to a sports facility that had been abandoned for decades and later became a military base amid the country’s civil war
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A stadium in Somalia's violence-prone capital is hosting its first soccer tournament in three decades, drawing thousands of people to a sports facility that had been abandoned for decades and later became a military base amid the country's civil war.
Somali authorities have spent years working to restore the national stadium in Mogadishu, and on Dec. 29 Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre inaugurated a national soccer tournament. The competition is a milestone in efforts to restore public life after decades of violence.
Somalia’s fragile central government is still struggling to assert itself after the nationwide chaos that began with the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991, when public facilities like the Mogadishu stadium fell into neglect.
The air crackles with anticipation as thousands pour into the stadium each afternoon. Crowds roar with the thrill of competition.
