Cairo, Egypt – Somalia’s Dekedda FC will walk into the legendary Cairo International Stadium today to face Egyptian giants Zamalek SC in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup — a historic moment for the club and for Somali football.
With Somalia still lacking CAF-approved stadiums, both legs of the tie will be played in Egypt, the second scheduled for October 24. That means Dekedda will fight their entire continental campaign away from home, without the roar of a home crowd behind them. Yet, for the players, just being on this stage is a powerful symbol of progress.
Head coach Mohamed Ahmed acknowledged the challenge but refused to be intimidated.
“Yes, we are playing both games in Cairo. Yes, Zamalek are favourites. But we did not come here to take pictures. We came to compete,” he said after their final training session.
The Cairo International Stadium is familiar territory for Zamalek — a club with one of the richest histories in African football — but for Dekedda’s young squad, it is a stage they have only dreamed of. Most of the players grew up watching such matches from afar; today, they are the ones under the floodlights.
Team captain Abdullahi Hassan said the squad is drawing strength from those watching back home.
“We know our people are glued to their screens in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Hargeisa, Garowe — everywhere. We may not have fans in the stands, but we feel them with us,” he said.
Zamalek are expected to dominate possession, but Somali fans are hoping Dekedda can pull off the kind of surprise that African football is famous for.
No matter the result, tonight’s encounter — and the return leg on October 24 — will be remembered as a milestone. Dekedda may be playing on foreign soil, but they carry the hopes of an entire nation every time they step onto the pitch.