Sport
Somalia national football team (the Ocean Stars): history, results and records
Somalia's national football team, the Ocean Stars, is run by the Somali Football Federation, a member of FIFA and CAF since the 1960s. It has never reached the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations. Its first World Cup qualifying win came on 5 September 2019, 1–0 against Zimbabwe in Djibouti. By RSSSF's count it has played 145 recorded internationals, with 15 wins, 19 draws and 111 losses.
In numbers
- Members of: FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). RSSSF dates both memberships to 1963 (RSSSF); Wikipedia gives FIFA 1962 and CAF 1968 (Somali Football Federation, Wikipedia).
- Recorded internationals: 145 played, 15 won, 19 drawn, 111 lost, 75 goals scored and 362 conceded, up to November 2025 (RSSSF).
- World Cup qualifiers: 23 played, 1 won, 4 drawn, 18 lost (RSSSF).
- Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers: 13 played, 3 won, 2 drawn, 8 lost (RSSSF).
- Biggest defeat: 0–14 against North Korea on 14 November 1963 (Somalia national football team, Wikipedia).
- Most caps: Omar Abdulkadir, 31, from 1999 to 2007 (Wikipedia).
Beginnings: the 1940s and the Somali Youth League
The first Somali football teams were formed in the 1940s, and early matches were tied to the anti-colonial movement. The Somali Youth League put together a team of local young men to play the Italian expatriate clubs. That team, later renamed Bondhere, won the first several competitions (Wikipedia). The RSSSF records that Bondhere, earlier called SYL "Leego", won the second division in 1958, under the UN trusteeship (RSSSF, Somalia champions).
The Somali Football Federation was founded in 1951, and the first Somali commissioner for sport was named in 1958 (Wikipedia). Somalia's first national team captain was Mohamed Shangole; the longest-serving was Hasan Babay (Wikipedia).
Playing away from home
After the civil war began in the early 1990s, FIFA matches could not be played in Somalia, and the team played its "home" qualifiers abroad, mostly in Djibouti (Wikipedia). Between 16 November 2011 and 22 July 2019 Somalia lost 18 matches in a row, and it went 28 games without a win from January 2009 to July 2019 (Wikipedia). The 2012 CECAFA Cup included a 0–7 defeat by Tanzania in Uganda (RSSSF).
5 September 2019: the first World Cup qualifying win
In Djibouti, in front of about 4,000 people, Somalia beat Zimbabwe 1–0 in the first round of 2022 World Cup qualifying. It was Somalia's first World Cup qualifying win and its first competitive win since 1984, against Kenya (BBC Sport; Wikipedia). RSSSF credits the 86th-minute goal to Anwar Shakunda; other reports spell the scorer Anwar Sidali (RSSSF). Zimbabwe won the return leg 3–1 in Harare five days later, and Somalia went out (RSSSF).
Recent matches
- 2023: World Cup qualifiers against Algeria (1–3) and Uganda (0–1), both played away or in Morocco (RSSSF).
- 2024: Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Eswatini, including a 2–2 draw on 26 March in South Africa after Somalia came back from two goals down (RSSSF; Wikipedia).
- 2025: six World Cup qualifiers, all lost or drawn, then a 2–1 friendly win over Bahrain on 17 November and an Arab Cup qualifier against Oman in Qatar, drawn 0–0 and lost 1–4 on penalties (RSSSF).
Kit and home ground
From the 1970s to the 1990s the team wore sky blue with the Somali flag; in the 2010s it moved to blue and white vertical stripes, and the coat of arms on the shirt was replaced by the federation crest. Home games are meant for Mogadishu Stadium; while it was rebuilt, the team used Engineer Yarisow Stadium (Wikipedia).
Head-to-head, selected opponents
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda | 24 | 1 | 4 | 19 |
| Kenya | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Tanzania | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Burundi | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Zanzibar | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Djibouti | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Ethiopia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Yemen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Source: RSSSF, updated 12 February 2026.
Read more
Sources
- RSSSF · rsssf.org
- Somali Football Federation, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- Somalia national football team, Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- RSSSF, Somalia champions · rsssf.org
- BBC Sport · bbc.com
Toosoo!
Calankii is made by Toosoo, which works for one united, prosperous Somalia.
Can you help with Somalia national football team (the Ocean Stars): history, results and records? Tell us what you can give.
I want to help with this
Where this matters
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Sport in Somalia: football, running and the Somalis who won the worldSport in Somalia: Abdi Bile's 1987 world title, Mo Farah, the Ocean Stars football team, the reopening of Mogadishu Stadium, and athletes of the diaspora.
- Somali First Division (Somali National League): every champion since 1933Somalia's top football league: history from the 1933 colonial championship, every champion by year, titles by club, the 2021 season and the inter-state championship.
- Somalia Cup (General Da'ud Cup) and Somalia Super Cup: every winnerSomalia's football cup competitions: the General Da'ud Cup since 1972 and the Super Cup since 2013, with every known winner and final score.
- Somaliland national football team, league and regional gamesSomaliland football: the national team in ConIFA, its first matches, the 2016 ConIFA World Cup, the Somaliland league, the regional games and Hargeisa stadium.
- Women's football in Somalia: from the first match to the national teamWomen's football in Somalia: registration figures since 2000, restrictions on women's sport, Golden Girls FC, the first tournament in 2024 and the national team's first match in 2025.
- Somali Football Federation (SFF): history, leaders and what it runsThe Somali Football Federation: founding in 1951, FIFA, CAF and UAFA membership, competitions it runs, leaders, the 2012 and 2017 killings of officials, and its women's strategy.