From Jersey to Somalia... via Liverpool & Man City

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Jarma Mohamed, a 21-year-old midfielder from Liverpool, has moved from Premier League academy football to non-league Jersey Bulls while also returning to the Somalia national team for Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. His route has included spells in the academies of Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City, followed by a scholarship at Wigan and later senior football in the non-league game after his release in 2024.

The article says Mohamed was identified by Jersey Bulls through a football networking app linked to showcase games, leading to a move to the eighth-tier club in the summer. He now combines playing with coaching youth football in Jersey. BBC Sport notes that his family background connects him to Somalia through his grandfather, who moved to Liverpool, and that this heritage has made him eligible for the national side.

Mohamed made his Somalia debut in March against Mauritius as the team reached the final stage of Afcon qualifying for the first time in its history. Somalia, ranked among the lowest teams still in contention, has had to play its matches away from home because of the security situation in the country. The squad is drawn largely from the global Somali diaspora, with Mohamed describing the group as tightly knit and without egos.

The piece places his story in the wider context of Somalia’s difficult qualifying group, which includes Ghana, Ivory Coast and Gambia. Mohamed says the team’s aim is to qualify rather than simply take part, underlining how unusual and significant his journey has been from academy football to international duty.