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By Shafi’i
Mohyaddin Abokar
Women football is vastly growing in Djibouti, a small country in the
horn of Africa region where former women football players have stepped
up efforts relating to the development of the country’s women football,
according to former national team goal keeper Kadan Ali Hassan.
Kadan who was a talented goal keeper for six years before she retired
late in 2007 said that women in Djibouti have been gaining more
understanding about football for the past two years and as the result
the country has currently at least 20 women football teams.
“Women’s football was gradually growing in Djibouti, but fortunately for
the past two years we have made a big progress and more teams were
established in regions while we were previously confined only to the
capital and very few cities” Kadan said adding that each year women’s
football championship is held here in Djibouti.
“Women in the country have now mutual understanding about football and
they are interested in it very much so we are very hopeful that this
will lead us to catch up with the developed world’s women’s football”
she stated.
The former national goal keeper who currently manages the Djibouti’s
seaport football club was very optimistic that Djibouti’s women will
have a very big involvement in the world’s women football competitions
in the coming years.
“We are grateful to the football federation president of Djibouti who
gave us a constant encouragement and helped us in every manner” she said
adding that particular thanks are also due to the school teachers and
principals who assisted in establishing women’s football teams in
schools.
“We are ready to assist our Somali sisters as much as we can” Kadan
replied when asked about what they can do for Somali women footballers
who are not currently able to continue their activities in the lawless
nation because of Islamist restrictions.
Somalia, a chaotic country in the horn of Africa which has been
experiencing lawlessness for nearly 20 years is now facing one of the
most difficult times yet where men cannot perform sport everywhere,
while women were totally banned from playing sport.
This week 14 young men were arrested by Islamists in the south western
city of Luq after they were found of guilty of playing a ball, according
to Islamist militia commander.
In the year 2006 Somali Islamists named sport “a satanic act” and as a
result fans were arrested, lashed and killed for watching or playing
football or other sporting events.
Kadan Ali Hassan former national women's team goal keeper lobbies for
djibouti women football promotion photo by shafi'i Mohyad
Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar
First vice president and head of international relations of Somali
sports press association
Source: Australia.TO, October 29, 2009
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