Eng. Yariisow Stadium – stadium description

What is the history of Eng. Yariisow Stadium?

How was Eng. Yariisow Stadium built?

The first stadium near the port of Mogadishu was built in the late 1930s. The facility was constructed by Italian colonizers, which explains its original name: Stadio Municipale.

In the 1950s, a completely new stadium was built at the initiative of the Italian National Olympic Committee (Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI) and was named Stadio CONI.

The stadium was inaugurated on October 2, 1955. The opening ceremony included various events and sports competitions, such as cycling races, the finish of a marathon from Afgooye to Mogadishu (a 31.5 km course), and a symbolic match between Somalia and Italy, in which a team composed of "locals" defeated the Italian residents 3–1.

What happened next to Eng. Yariisow Stadium?

After Somalia gained independence in 1960, the stadium was renamed Banadir Stadium (after the region where Mogadishu is located). Until the opening of the new Mogadishu Stadium in 1977, it was the largest and most important stadium in the country.

During the Somali Civil War, the stadium became a battleground and suffered significant damage.

When was Eng. Yariisow Stadium restored?

The facility was restored with the help of FIFA. In 2013, a new artificial turf was installed, and matches resumed at the stadium. The damaged main stand was rebuilt in 2015.

On August 1, 2019, following an attack carried out a few days earlier, the mayor of Mogadishu, Abdirahman Omar Osman (better known as "Engineer Yariisow"), was killed. Shortly after his death, the stadium was renamed Eng. Yariisow Stadium in his honor.

What does Eng. Yariisow Stadium look like?

The stadium has irregular, uncovered stands arranged around a gravel running track. There are no individual seats, and the stadium's capacity is estimated at 20,000 spectators. The new playing field has a synthetic surface, and the stadium is also equipped with artificial lighting.