Six-year barren streak is finally over - African minnows win a match

November has been one of the busiest months for national teams. Sides all around the world have fought hard to secure their 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets, those who had already made it began preparations, and some African crews have started getting ready for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Hence, it's no wonder Somalia's result flew under the radar.

AFCON SCAN Group A: Hosts and top contenders face eternal losers, ex-champs, and minnows

What now with them, you may wonder. What is so intriguing about a team that won only a single point in the recently finished World Cup qualifiers and was eliminated in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers preliminary round?

Well, for the first time since December 13, 2019, when they defeated Burundi 1-0, Somalia won a match, beating Bahrain 2-1, and ended a 22-game winless run! At the same time, they ended the longest ongoing barren streak in international football, leaving the negative record to Eswatini (20 matches without a victory).

Although no one saw it coming, especially not against a respectable Asian team - 112 spots ahead of Somalia in the FIFA ranking - that reached the penultimate stage of AFC World Cup qualifiers, the Ocean Stars shone, came from behind, and triumphed behind Mohamed Omar and Marsis' goals.

Now, a triumph in some friendly match can seem meaningless to many, but when a team is winless for almost six years - 2,166 days, to be precise - it means everything. It gives wings, boosts confidence, and completely changes the squad's spirits.

In seven days, the Ocean Stars will face another challenge in the FIFA Arab Cup qualifiers against Oman. Can they double the joy and win again?