FIFA World Cup 2026: Somalia warm up for crucial qualifying match against Guinea

Somalia’s national football team are in the final stages of their training ahead of a crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Guinea.

The Group G clash scheduled for 5 September holds immense significance for a squad looking to escape the bottom of a competitive group that includes Algeria, Mozambique, Botswana and Uganda.

In their last encounter in March in Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Guinea drew 0-0, with Guinea now standing fifth and Somalia sixth in their group.

Somalia’s national team, known as Ocean Stars, are currently training in Kampala, Uganda, a country they will also face on 8 September.

The team is at the heart of a quiet revolution. More than half of the players were born abroad, a testament to the growing trend of diaspora talent choosing to represent their ancestral homeland.

The influx of foreign-born players has injected new life and skills into the Ocean Stars as well as boost the country’s football revival.

Assembled by head coach Yusuf Ali Nur, this new generation of players is determined to turn their fortunes around in the World Cup qualifying campaign after a difficult start.

Double-barrel training