Somalia Football Federation Boss and Minister Of Mr. Hamza Questioned By FIFA Over Missing Funds of $9 Million Dollars.
Somalia Football Federation (SFF) president Abdiqani and minister of Sports and youth Mr. Hamza have been questioned by FIFA over the missing funds meant for the football project in Somalia.
Impeccable sources intimated that the SFF president Abdiqani Said was summoned to Zurich, the headquarters to shed light as to where the millions of dollars which had been channeled to the local organization had been misused.
Every national federation for all regional states are entitled to money from Fifa, with $9 million Dollars of the $11 million Dollars available for operational costs ringfenced for Somalia football, while additional money is available for travel to football tournaments and for special projects related to football
Minister of Sports and Youth Mr. Hamza and SFF President stole funds for supposed to be hired for coach to train Somali National team.
Minister of Sports and Youth Mr. Hamza US naturalized , is currently under investigation of embezzling funds from WMF and UNFPA and using their purported positions to garner funds from UNFPA mainly for their own enrichment.
Somali Football Federation [SFF] and Minister Hamza were. blamed for the national team’s loss to Oman on Sunday, in a match that showed quality glimpses for a team that rarely trains or plays fitness matches but is expected to compete with the rest of the world.
Ahmed Said Asanyo, ex-captain of the Somali football team, who was among the players who lost the game against Oman last night, was quick to strike a blow at football administrators in the country, the accusing of gross incompetence.
By his own admission, the team deserved more, but it was led by football leaders in Somalia, arguing that the federation has never facilitated training for almost two years now for national team players.
“Oman didn’t beat us, the Somali Football Federation beat us” I’m very disappointed with the result today, the boys worked hard, we deserved more, today we didn’t lose to Oman, we lost to the Somali Football Federation, “the former captain said.
For 18 months without training, the last two days I have rained twice, how do we want to compete with countries like Oman, which has played five games in the “last two weeks? Long live Somalia”, he said. he added in a moved emotion. post after the game.
Mass corruption in SFF
Cases of corruption in the national football body are synonymous in Somalia, with the women’s team having been the first to complain a few years ago. The incidents, analysts said, even ruined sport in the Horn of Africa country.
Shaima Mohamed, who has almost singlehandedly championed the cause of women’s football in one of the most volatile countries in the world, told the Guardian: “I don’t know where the money is going.”
Each national federation is entitled to money from Fifa, with $ 100,000 of the $ 500,000 available for operational costs reserved for women’s football, while additional funds are available for travel to women’s tournaments and for projects. specials related to women’s football. The Somali federation did not respond to requests for comment.
Mohamed believes that members of the federation are unwilling to support women’s football because they fear extremists who oppose it. “[They] would have sat down and talked about it and I think they’re scared for their lives, ”she said in an interview a few years ago. “But they are also responsible for helping Fifa’s vision for women’s football.”
The Somali FA women’s football department is indeed inactive. Mohamed said the federation gave him an official title but refused his request for an office, equipment and a free field for training. Girls and women continue to play, especially at the Golden Club academy in Mogadishu, which Mohamed founded and runs.
“We do fundraising to support the teams,” she said. “We do social media campaigns. We receive contributions from the community but we do not have a specific budget that comes back to us each year. I don’t know where the money is going. I don’t know if the federation sent details about my role and information to Fifa. We need formal recognition for Somali women’s football.
She called on Fifa to intervene. “They should do more to make sure we get our funding,” she said. “Fifa needs to be more accountable to every federation in Africa to see if women’s funding is spent on women’s football or something else.
“Fifa could also do more by improving direct communications with the women’s football department. I understand that the federation cannot do much for the women’s departments because they are afraid for their lives but they can give us a little support until we can get up again because we are ready to take the risk and we are ready to fight for what we want. “
And impeccable sources within FIFA have hinted that SFF President Abdiqani Said was summoned to Zurich, the seat in 2019 to shed light on the misuse of the millions of dollars that had been funneled into local organization.
The move follows a briefing by Shaima Mohamed, the head of women’s football who contacted the world’s football governing body to take action, saying the money made available by FIFA to support women’s football in her country did not achieve the intended objective.
