Jarma Mohamed: How Jersey Bulls midfielder became a Somalia international

Mohamed now works as a youth coach in the island, while also anchoring the midfield of a Jersey Bulls side riding high in the eighth tier of English football.

Born in Toxteth, Mohamed’s Somalian grandfather moved to Liverpool, part of a large Somali community in the city.

It is that heritage that has allowed him to play for a side ranked 200th in the world – the lowest of any team to progress to Afcon’s final round of qualifiers.

He made his Somalia debut against Mauritius in March as the Ocean Stars reached the final qualifying stages for Afcon for the first time in their history – they beat the island nation on penalties after two goalless draws.

“It was a random Wednesday afternoon in my kitchen and I was made up,” Mohamed says of the moment he was asked to first join the Somalia squad earlier this year.

“I could physically see the community close to home, and going out to the camp and experiencing what that’s like, it really lit a fire that I didn’t even know I could get as far as trying to push my football career.”

He is part of a Somali squad made up of more players from the global diaspora than those born in the country itself.

Having reached the qualifying stage for next summer’s tournament, the lowest ranked side left face a tough group against three-time champions Ivory Coast, Gambia and Ghana – who have won the tournament four times and drew 0-0 with England in the group stage of this summer’s World Cup.

“Everyone’s from different parts of the world, you have lads who are Dutch, from Finland, Italy, there’s another scouse with me in the team,” Mohamed said.

“When we’re all there, and even lads who are local and playing in the Somali league, everyone’s just one family.

“That’s one thing which we’re really good at, we’re together as a team, there’s no egos.

“Everyone’s just really together and wanting to get results for the country, which I feel is very important.”