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When Sakariya Abdi Hassan, better known as Sak, was playing for non-league side AFC Sudbury, he never expected his life to change with a single phone call. That call turned out to be an invitation to play for Somalia’s national football team, a dream he had never thought possible given the level he was playing at.
Sak’s journey has been anything but straightforward. Born in the Netherlands, he moved to England at the age of seven and spent his early years bouncing between academies like Leyton Orient, QPR, and Tottenham. Today, he plays for Wealdstone in the National League and has even joined the Baller League, a new six-a-side competition led by YouTuber KSI. But no matter where football has taken him, nothing compares to the pride he feels wearing Somalia’s national jersey.
Since receiving that unexpected call, Sak has represented the Ocean Stars—the nickname for Somalia’s team—ten times and has scored twice. Somalia is currently ranked 200th in the world, making them one of the lowest-ranked African teams. They haven’t won a game in six years and sit at the bottom of their World Cup qualifying group. Yet despite these challenges, Sak believes the team is improving. He notes that they are no longer suffering the heavy defeats of the past, and the team now travels for every international break rather than once a year, which shows growing commitment and progress.
Somalia’s football journey has been shaped by its history. The country has faced ongoing conflict since 2009, and the national team has not played at its home stadium in Mogadishu since 1986. Instead, they play in Djibouti and other locations, usually in front of just a few hundred fans. For Sak, returning to Mogadishu to play in front of a packed stadium would be a dream come true. He says the atmosphere of having thousands of Somali fans cheering for them on home soil would be unforgettable.
Looking ahead, Sak believes the Ocean Stars can reach the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Africa’s equivalent of the Euros. While he acknowledges they are far from winning, he is confident that within the next decade Somalia can qualify for the tournament. For him, that would mark a huge step forward for Somali football and could inspire a new generation of players.
Football is deeply rooted in Somali culture. Both boys and girls grow up playing the sport, and it remains the most popular pastime in the country. Beyond Somalia, the Somali diaspora in the UK and other parts of the world also show immense support. Sak says whenever the national team plays, Somali fans in Britain hold watch-alongs, and when he scored for the Ocean Stars, his phone was flooded with messages of love and pride from the community.
That support extends to young players who see Sak as a role model. In Bristol, teammates Abshir Adan and Andreas Ali, who play for a Somali team called Phoenix Next Gen, admire Sak’s journey. For them, seeing someone with their background reach international level is inspiring and proof that Somali players can achieve big things. They believe that as the national team improves, more players from the Somali diaspora in Europe and beyond will want to represent their homeland.
Sak’s story is already sparking change. Many in the community now see Somalia as a team worth playing for, and young Somali players growing up in England, Sweden, and other countries may one day follow in his footsteps. For Sak, that possibility makes every challenge worthwhile.
Despite not winning in six years, Somalia has had some memorable results. One highlight for Sak was a World Cup qualifier against Guinea, where Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy—who once scored a hat-trick against Barcelona—failed to score against Somalia. For Sak, moments like these show that while the team still has a long way to go, they are capable of competing with bigger names. As Somalia prepares to face Guinea again, Sak hopes they can go even further this time and maybe secure a historic win.