Somali PM Hassan Ali Kheyre announced the units of African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia stationed at Stadium Mogadishu "will withdraw from the facility" by '18, according to Maxamuud Axmed of SOMALIWEYN. He said that the time for getting Stadium Mogadishu "back into use" has come, adding that the government "will seek a full reconstruction for the facility." Ali Kheyre said, "Getting Stadium Mogadishu back into the hands of the people is one of our commitments to create more opportunities for the young football-loving Somalis and that will soon happen." Somali Football Federation President Abdiqani Said Arab said that the SFF "sees a brighter future now that the government plans to get troops out of Stadium Mogadishu" (SOMALIWEYN, 12/25).
THE RIGHT TIME: VOA NEWS reported the SFF announced plans to host int'l games beginning next year "because of improving security." Said Arab said that "the time has come for Somalia to organize home games" in the country's football stadiums in '18. He said in a statement, "Due to the betterment of the security situation in Somalia we have decided to stage our home games at home. The Somali people have the right to watch their national team play at home and we have to make that happen now that the country is going ahead." Arab said that his federation will first invite East African national teams to play friendlies against the Somali national team (VOA NEWS, 12/27).
