Somalia football league better organised – Ex-Pillars’ player

Coach Rasheed Adegbenro says Somalia football league is better organised than Nigeria’s in terms of preparations and welfare.

The ex-Kano Pillars player declared this shortly on returned to Nigeria after three seasons in the highly competitive league in Somalia.

Adegbenro, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Saturday, described the league as a well organised, even though the standard may be low in terms of performance index at the level of Confederation cup and Champions league in Africa.

His club, Dekedana Sports Club established in 1973 placed second at the just concluded 2022 soccer season, but couldn’t participate in the continental engagement because the league was completed late.

Adegbenro, who is currently on two months break after working so hard for over a year, commended the Somali Football Federation for making it compulsory to all the registered clubs in the country to accommodate and feed the players.

He however decried serial killing in the East African country which has denied investors and discouraged foreigners to come to Somalia.

Adegbenro’s first club, Gaadidka, was almost relegated before he rescued the team back to the country’s top flight outfit.

According to him, his Dekedana Sports Club based in Mogadishu, the capital city, has been performing due to the standard of football administration in the country.

Currently on break after the season that will resume in April 2023, he stressed that most premier league players earned more than 500 dollars with good accommodation and feeding free of charge.

The Ogun state born gaffer, who played for Kwara Bombers, Kano Pillars, BCC Lions FC of Gboko,Yobe Desert Stars and Offa United in his active days, said he is now available for any club in Nigeria after obtaining his CAF ‘C’ licence and cognate experience in modern coaching. (NAN)