Somali FA Bans Four National Players and Two Club Officials.

Somali Football Federation has banned four members of its national team from all football events, local and international for one year starting October 6, 2013 for conspiring to fix a match to avoid relegation.

Chairmen of two local football clubs Mohamed Dahir Mahmoud (Sahafi FC boss) and Abdullahi Elmi Mahmoud (FC Banadir chairman) have also been banned from football activities for a period of two years.

The decision was taken during executive committee meeting at the SFF headquarters in Mogadishu on Sunday, after the executive committee listened to reports from competitions affairs committee and the commissioner of FC Banadir- Sahafi FC clash which took place at the Somali University Stadium on Monday 30 September 2013.

The four junior Somali National team members: Mohamed Hashi Siyad known as (Duufaan), Ali Mohamed Ali, Ikar Dahir Amin and Abdullahi Abdul Salam Sheik (Olow) who all play for Sahafi FC have been banned from taking part in all football-related activities in both locally and internationally which means they will also lose their national team representation chances.

Sahafi FC chairman Mohamed Dahir Mahmoud and FC Banadir chairman Abdullahi Elmi Mahmoud were found guilty of committing anti-football behaviour, while the four banned players were themselves found guilty of being part of irregularities committed by the two club chairmen.

“Referring to the reports by the competitions affairs committee and the match commissioner the executive committee has taken such strong decision and all banned individuals both players and club chairmen will not be allowed to make appeals against the bans,” Somali Football Federation decree noted.

FC Banadir has also been docked points they accumulated from the match. Both clubs committed irregularities against the local league principles and even the international football laws of the game.

“The match commissioner and the competitions affairs committee gathered full evidences showing that both clubs agreed to give chances to each other in a bid to prevent from relegation, while the four players acted accordingly on the field of play,” the SFF decree declared.

The SFF executive committee has praised the Safahi FC coach Ali Mohamed Absuge (Ali Bu) for accomplishing his duties in accordance with the international laws of the game and for respecting the local league principles. Ali Bu is an experienced coach who formerly led the Ocean stars to several international competitions.