- Somalia are playing their first ever continental championship
- They qualified after winning the CECAFA Championship
- They face hosts Algeria in their opening match
Somalia says it is keen on lifting the East African flag high when they begin their Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations campaign against hosts Algeria on Saturday night.
The Somalis are playing their first ever continental championship at any age group and head coach Nur Mohamed Amin is elated at the opportunity to play at the Continental level and he says his players are ready to show the world what Somali football is all about.
“I have confidence in our players. We are lined up to face Algeria, Senegal and Congo, all of which are big teams and a motivating factor for us. We will see how the first game goes because I am confident that we can compete,” the tactician said.
On facing Algeria, coach Nur has admitted he will be diving into the unknown, but reiterates confidence that the preparation they have had will suffice for a good performance.
No idea about Algerian team
“We have no idea about the Algerian team, but we have a squad that has a strategy. We know always that Algeria is a strong competitor. They have more good players and professionals, but we will be there to show our worth and prove ourselves,” added the coach.
Nur hopes that playing at the U17 tournament will open doors for Somali football not just for the youth set ups but for the senior team as well, as this will prove fertile ground for the birth of future icons of the Ocean Stars.
Somalia qualified from the CECAFA Championship staged last October in Ethiopia after seeing off South Sudan 3-1 in the final, and they are keen to show that they are a good footballing nation.
In their squad, they have five foreign based players who are keen to push the team to success.
Meanwhile, defender Abdulle Abdulahi is not mincing his words on the team’s mission in Algeria.
“We have confidence in ourselves as a team. We came to Algeria for the competition, and we hope to be the heroes at the end,” the Heegan SC stopper said during Friday’s pre-match press conference.
They come up against a host side that is determined to win their opening match and go all the way to clinch the title.
Algeria focused on winning the title
Algeria’s coach Arezki Remmane says the team is focused on doing well, saying they have faith they can win the title and qualify for the World Cup.
They begin their campaign against Somalia on Saturday night.
“Every opening match is difficult for the host country. Mentally, it will be a lot of pressure. The mental factor is very important in this competition,” the tactician said.
He added; “As far as we are concerned, we have experience. After our participation in the Arab Cup, we worked on this point and we know that the first match is very important for the rest of the competition.”
Remmane says playing at home will be an advantage for them, but reiterates it will be a difficult tournament.
He also expects it tough against Somalia.
“The match against Somalia is of great importance. We know there will be a lot of pressure, but we will be mentally ready. We have studied them (Somalia) and we have our own tactics and game plans to win the match,” Algeria’s skipper Moslem Anatouf said.
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