Non-league defender and driving instructor starred in the team that recently secured Somalia’s first World Cup qualifying win
A hot night in Djibouti City, 5 September, and Mohamud Ali is in disbelief at having just written himself into Somalian history. The former £50-a-day factory worker was man of the match as his nation beat Zimbabwe 1-0 to record a first World Cup qualifier win. Ali is thousands of miles away from his home in Manchester, where he plays as a central defender for Curzon Ashton of the National League North and his day job is a driving instructor. But now the 25-year-old is a bona fide national hero.
Because of the political instability in Somalia, the Ocean Stars had to play the “home” leg of this Qatar World Cup 2022 first-round qualifier in neighbouring Djibouti’s El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium. The match was level until the 87th minute when Ahmed Ali, Mohamud’s brother and Somalia’s captain, floated a cross from the left and Anwar Shakunda headed past Elvis Chipezeze.
Written by Jamie Jackson
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jan/12/somalia-first-world-cup-qualifying-win-mohamud-ali-manchester-driving-instructor under the title “Mohamud Ali: from Manchester’s roads to football history with Somalia”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
