Women’s football in Somalia is experiencing remarkable growth and increasing public acceptance in a country long affected by conflict and conservative traditions, signalling a significant cultural and social shift.
Historic Championship Matches Draw Crowds in Mogadishu
Hundreds of spectators recently filled a Mogadishu stadium to watch young women’s teams compete, a sight that would have been unimaginable a few years ago due to threats from Al-Shabaab militants, who once viewed football, particularly women’s, as un-Islamic.
In one recent encounter, Ilays defeated Nasiib 5-0. While the main stand remained largely segregated, the presence of mixed-gender spectators highlighted improving social openness.
“If you were in Mogadishu a couple of years ago, an occasion like this… would not have been possible… but with time, things are improving,” said spectator Ali Muhidin.
Civil war turned Somalia’s main soccer stadium into an army camp. Now it’s hosting games again | KSL.com
Explosive Growth in Participation
The Somali women’s football championship, which began in 2024 with just 80 players, has grown rapidly. It now features 600 players across 10 teams, primarily based in Mogadishu but also attracting talent from other regions.
Ali Abdi Mohamed, President of the Somali Football Federation, expressed astonishment at the progress: “No one could have imagined that one day Somali women would play football in their country, where even men were forbidden to play by fighters who had declared football ‘un-Islamic’. But something we couldn’t even dream of has become a reality.”
Somalia football slowly becomes a women’s game
Ocean Queens Gear Up for Historic International Debut
Somalia’s senior women’s national team, the Ocean Queens, played its first-ever friendly in October in Djibouti and is not yet FIFA-ranked. The team is now preparing for its debut international tournament — the Under-17 event scheduled for May 2026 in Tanzania.
Players train in modest attire, wearing thick tights, long-sleeved shirts, and headscarves under their kits to respect cultural and religious norms.
Somalia’s Ocean Queens set to achieve the culturally unthinkable with international debut in Jordan – Inside World Football
Players Defy Taboos with Growing Family and Community Support
Midfielder Ramas Abdi Salah, 17, stated: “For women to play football is not shameful or taboo. As you can see, I’m fully covered except for my face and my hands. I haven’t received any bad comments.”
Goalkeeper Najma Ali Ahmed, despite conceding five goals in a recent match, remains passionate: “I’m sending a message to female footballers to work toward the dream of joining the national team.”
Somalia football slowly becomes a women’s game
Context: Improving Security and Neglected Men’s Game
While Somalis remain passionate followers of European football, the men’s national team ranks 200th in the FIFA standings. Local men’s teams have long been neglected, but enhanced security in Mogadishu has created space for women’s football to flourish despite lingering conservative criticism.
