This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
On Saturday, December 21, 2019, Kenya's lower division football team Sindo United will make history by playing Somaliland's national team in an international friendly match at the Hargeisa National Stadium.
The match is part of Somaliland's campaign for international recognition, and Sindo United has been invited by the Somaliland Ministry of Sports courtesy of the country's embassy in Nairobi.
Coached by former Kenya international Boniface Ambani, Sindo United arrived in Hargeisa on Friday morning to a red carpet welcome by officials of the Somaliland sports ministry.
According to Sports Minister Boos Mire, the match is a special occasion for Somaliland, as it is the first time the country is welcoming a foreign football team in three decades.
Coach Ambani emphasized that the game is not about who wins, but about building relations between Kenya and Somaliland.
As an autonomous country not recognized internationally, Somaliland sees this match as an opportunity to tell the world that its youths deserve a sporting chance.
The friendly match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday.
