From Jersey to Somalia via Liverpool and Manchester City

Somalia midfielder Jarma Mohamed was recalled to his national squad for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana in Accra this month after moving to eighth-tier Jersey Bulls in the summer. The 21-year-old, who has had spells with Liverpool and Manchester City, made his international debut earlier this year.

Mohamed traces his early development to Everton and Liverpool before joining Manchester City at 11 and later earning a two-year scholarship at Wigan. "My mum was probably fed up with me just booting stuff in the house, so she got me involved as early as I could," Mohamed tells BBC Sport, adding: "When I was three she was begging teams to take me because the age that you're allowed is four." At Wigan he said he experienced a full-time schedule, "playing day-in, day-out, full-time schedule, staying in digs up in Wigan, travelling up and down the country for away games, performing, picking up the armband a few times, FA Youth Cup, things like that." He was released by Wigan in 2024 and spent time in non-league football with Bamber Bridge and Newcastle Town.

Mohamed's route to Jersey Bulls began this summer when the Isthmian League South Central side spotted him on an app run by a company called Player. "I was thinking what do I want to do?," he said. "I could go abroad and do something, but I wasn't really too sure and I'd been playing showcase games with a company called Player, who basically put players in front of teams, they have an app, which is like a LinkedIn for footballers." He added that the owner of Player put him in contact with Jersey Bulls and that, despite the club being amateur, "we worked out a job that aligns with the things that I do, obviously me having Uefa C licence coaching is something that I'd easily do and I've come over and done it." Mohamed now works as a youth coach on the island while anchoring Jersey Bulls' midfield; "Jarma Mohamed and his Jersey Bulls team-mates have yet to lose a league game this season."

Born in Toxteth to a family with Somali roots, Mohamed qualified to play for Somalia and made his debut against Mauritius in March as the Ocean Stars reached the final qualifying stages for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history. Somalia beat Mauritius on penalties after two goalless draws and are a side ranked 200th in the world - the lowest of any team to progress to Afcon's final round of qualifiers.

Mohamed says the squad contains more players from the global diaspora than those born in Somalia and stressed the unity within the group. "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," he 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."

Somalia have shown resilience in their qualifying group but sit second from bottom on goal difference after narrow defeats. Gambia scored an 83rd-minute winner in Somalia's opening match, while an Ivory Coast side featuring Yan Diomande, Franck Kessie and Nicolas Pepe scored in the 89th minute and the fifth minute of added time to earn a 2-0 win. Those results leave Somalia below Ghana on goal difference; Ghana, managed by former Real Madrid boss Carlos Queiroz, have lost their opening two matches.

With security issues in Somalia meaning the Ocean Stars have played all their qualifiers away from home, Mohamed says he will approach Ghana as he does every match. "The same way I treat every game, you can only play what's in front of you," he added. "The aim is to qualify," he said. "If you come to do nothing less than that you may as well stay home. In the two games we've had previously against Ivory Coast and Gambia we've shown that we can compete. If you come to play for the experience or 'we're just happy to be there', then there's no point in coming. We need to come to try and win."

Somalia will face Ghana in back-to-back qualifying matches in Accra this month, with Mohamed and his team preparing for those fixtures as the next stage of their campaign.