AN abandoned football stadium which served as an army camp in civil war is hosting matches again after an incredible makeover.
Once dubbed the "Jewel of Africa", Somalia's national stadium in Mogadishu - the country's violence-prone capital - had been left to rot for years.
Stadium Mogadishu, Somalia's largest football venue, was built in 1978 and was once among the largest and most beautiful stadiums in Africa and the Arab world, the Somali Football Federation reports.
However, the various conditions and sufferings it has seen since 1991 have given it a jungle-like aspect.
It was abandoned for so long that looked like a contained forest due to all the trees grown in the pitch.
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Its crumbling stands also add to the haunting look and feel.
The Chinese government built Stadium Mogadishu in 1978, and it has held numerous international events, including the 8th Arab Student Competition, the East-Central African Nations Cup and the East-Central African Teams Championship.
The building sustained extensive damage in the early 1990s when US and Pakistani peacekeepers used it as a military base from 1993 to 1995 during the unsuccessful UN peacekeeping campaign in Somalia.
Foreign military powers did significant damage to the stadium at the time, but when they left, the Somali National Football Federation was able to rebuild it and play games there.
Unfortunately, Stadium Mogadishu was once again converted into a military facility in February 2007 until 2009, when Ethiopian troops supporting the Somali transitional federal government took possession.
It was then occupied by al-Shabab militants from 2009 to 2011.
And most recently, between 2012 and 2018, the stadium was a base for African Union peacekeepers.
But the once rundown stadium, marked by a violent past, is now back hosting its first football tournament in three decades.
The Somali Football Federation asked African Union troops to vacate the national stadium so it can be used again for sports events.
Authorities then spent years working to restore the venue and on December 29 Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre inaugurated the national football tournament.
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The competition is a milestone in efforts to revive public life even as al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, based in Somalia, remains a threat.
The fragile central government is still struggling to assert itself after the nationwide chaos that began with the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991, when public facilities fell into neglect or were destroyed.
Now, the air crackles with anticipation as thousands pour into the stadium each afternoon, with crowds roaring with the thrill of competition.
The Islamist extremist group al-Shabab, which has ties with al-Qaida, still launches attacks on hotels, government offices and other public places in the capital, including a devastating car bombing in October 2022 that killed at least 120.
But many Somalis are willing to brave the stadium, which has a heavy security presence.
“My praise be to God,” said Jubbaland player Mohamud Abdirahim, whose team beat Hirshabelle in a tense encounter on Tuesday that went to a penalty shootout.
“This tournament, in which all of Somalia’s regions participate, is exceptionally special. It will become a part of our history.”
Hirshabelle fan Khadro Ali said she “felt as though we were emancipated.”
Ali Abdi Mohamed, president of the Somali Football Federation, added: “When this stadium was used as a military camp, it was a source of agony and pain.
"However, you can now see how it has transformed and is destined to serve its original purpose, which is to play football."
His sentiments were echoed by the Somali sports minister, Mohamed Barre, who said the stadium “has transformed into a place where people of similar interests can come together ... and we want the world to see this.”
