The Road to 2034 Starts in Our Regions

By Deeq M Afrika

I want Somalia to qualify for the 2034 World Cup. To pursue that ambition seriously, we must give young Somali footballers a clear pathway from their local communities to the national team.

That work must reach every region. A talented child should have the opportunity to develop close to home, with qualified coaches, proper facilities and regular competition.

This is why Regional Technical Centres are a flagship initiative of my Vision 2034: permanent football development campuses in every Federal Member State, connecting local talent to a national system.

Each proposed centre would bring together a full-size football pitch, covered futsal court and beach football area. Alongside these would be four changing rooms, six classrooms, two event rooms, meeting spaces and a canteen. A twelve-room residence, accommodating 44 people, would support camps for players, coaches and visiting teams.

These facilities would allow football development, education and training to happen in one place, throughout the year.

For a young player living far from the centre, accommodation could make attending a regional training camp possible. For a local coach, the classrooms could provide access to qualifications without travelling to Mogadishu. For a regional association, the campus would provide a permanent base for organising programmes and developing its football community.

At the heart of each centre would be two qualified local clubs or academies, committed to structured youth development beginning at Under-8.

This is essential to how I envision the centres working. Local organisations would run consistent programmes, build relationships with families and support players as they progress through the age groups. Their responsibilities would be clear, and their work would be assessed.

The centres would also serve the wider community through scheduled access for other clubs, schools, girls’ football, coach education and referee development. Regional investment must create regional opportunity.

Starting at U8 means giving children time to learn. It means age-appropriate coaching, enjoyment, technical development and the chance to grow without being judged only on whether they win today.

As players get older, the pathway must continue through organised youth leagues, regional competitions, national youth tournaments and senior club football. The centres would help identify and develop talent, while competitive matches would give players the opportunity to test themselves.

A promising young footballer should know what the next step is. Their coach should know how to help them reach it. National-team staff should be able to follow their progress over time.

This requires a stronger partnership between the Somali Football Federation and regional associations. The federation must provide technical direction, support and transparent standards, while regional associations help shape and deliver programmes suited to their communities.

We must also invest in the people who develop the game. Better coaches improve daily training. Better referees strengthen competitions. Better administrators help clubs and leagues operate consistently. The classrooms and meeting spaces are therefore as important to this vision as the playing surfaces.

The connection to 2034 is clear. A fourteen-year-old today will be twenty-two in 2034. An eighteen-year-old will be twenty-six. These are players who could form part of the senior national team pursuing qualification.

They need development opportunities now: quality coaching, regular matches, properly organised youth national teams and a route into competitive senior football.

Meanwhile, children entering our U8 programmes today would be sixteen in 2034. They would represent the next generation coming through a stronger system. Our investment must support both the players who could take us towards that World Cup and those who will carry Somali football forward afterwards.

Locally developed players and Somali talent abroad should strengthen one another. A broader domestic pathway would give our national teams more options and connect the national shirt more closely to communities across the country.

Delivering this vision will require phased construction, credible partnerships and dependable operating budgets. Every centre must have qualified staff, safeguarding arrangements, maintenance plans and clear accountability. We should measure success through participation, coach development, competitive opportunities and player progression.

World Cup qualification cannot be guaranteed. But we can commit to the work that makes our ambition credible.

I want a young Somali footballer to look at their regional technical centre and see a future: somewhere to train, learn, compete and earn the opportunity to represent their country.

The road to 2034 starts in our regions. We must begin building it now.

Xiriir Furan. Fursad Siman.