AFCON (Q): Yusuf Ali Nur unveils Somalia squad for crucial Mauritius doubleheader

Somalia national team head coach Yusuf Ali Nur has named a 23-man squad to face Mauritius in the preliminary round of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying. The Ocean Stars, as they are nicknamed, have already traveled to Maputo, Mozambique for the first-leg of a doubleheader against Mauritius, as Ali Nur includes new faces from abroad.

 

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England-based Jarma Ibrahim Abdi has received his debut call-up for the Somalia national side. The defensive midfielder is a product of Wigan and Blackburn Rovers youth sides, and he now plays in the English lower leagues with Cheadle Town FC. America-based midfielder Mohamed “Mo” Mohamed, who plays for Portland Hearts of Pine, will also get the opportunity to represent the East African nation for the first time.

Ali Nur included eight players from the Somalia National League, with the rest of the squad summoned from England, America, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, Wales, Scotland, and Malta. FK Novi Pazar player Abdulsamed Abdullahi headlines the midfield, as he is one of the few players plying his trade in a European top-flight league.

Ali Nur surprisingly omitted players who took part in the preliminary round of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup. The vice-captain of the Ocean Stars, Mohamed Omar, reportedly wanted to focus on his club career for now, while striker Ali Musa was dropped due to inactivity for more than three months.

Somalia will be hoping to secure a place in the AFCON qualifier group stages by eliminating Mauritius.