REACH initiative brings beach soccer to Somalia

The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has launched training programs for beach soccer coaches and referees as part of its REACH Initiative. This effort aims to promote the sport across all regions of the country, which is now preparing for its first-ever beach soccer tournament.

On Wednesday, June 18th, 2025, Somali Minister for Youth and Sport Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali and SFF President Ali Abdi Mohamed jointly inaugurated the commencement of the maiden beach soccer development program.

Sixteen coaches and sixteen referees from the federation’s beach soccer department are benefiting from the 6-day training courses. These sessions are led by Ugandan experts Salim Jamal Muwonge, a coaching instructor, and Bayige Ivan Kintu, a refereeing instructor.

"The launch of these training programs marks a historic milestone for our country's football sector, particularly for beach soccer," said Minister Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali. He also emphasized his government’s commitment to supporting SFF in terms of infrastructure development. "The government is working on the establishment of a beach soccer facility," minister Ali added.

SFF President Ali Abdi Mohamed said that the revival of futsal competitions after years of absence and the start of women’s football in the country were some of the greatest things his administration achieved after his election as president two years ago.

"Again we stood to get beach soccer going in the country for the first time and the launch of the training programs today is our first step towards that," president Ali Abdi Mohamed noted. He also stated that the time has come for football to be played in every corner of Somalia.

This article has been edited for clarity by the sportanddev Operating Team.