In Islamist Mogadishu, watching World Cup is extreme sport

In Mogadishu, there's no such thing as a boisterous boys' night of football and drinks.

As millions of revelling football-mad supporters the world over gathered around TV screens yesterday for the kick-off of Africa's biggest party, watching the World Cup in Somalia's capital is a clandestine, life-threatening activity.

The Shebab movement, an Al-Qaeda-inspired insurgent movement that controls most of the country, has banned cinemas, DVDs and, many would say, any form of entertainment, including playing and watching football.

"The World Cup is an historic event but in Somalia very few people will get to see it because of the restrictions imposed by the Islamists," said Abdi Ali Yarisow, a resident in southern Mogadishu's Waberi district.

"There will be no public cinemas or gatherings where fans can have fun watching the games," he explained.

The lucky few with the adequate satellite television set-up will not risk inviting friends over for the game and are likely to watch matches with one eye on the screen, the other on the door and the sound muted.

"I have a TV in my house but I cannot let many people enter and watch the games, because if everybody becomes excited and starts shouting, I'll be in trouble," Mr Yarisow said.

"I can maybe allow a handful of people for the day-time games, we'll sit in my room and watch the game silently," he added.

Mogadishu is widely considered one of the most dangerous places on the planet and Somalia was the only African country where the World Cup trophy did not stop during its tour of the continent.

Somalia is ranked 173rd in the world by FIFA and never really stood a chance of qualifying for the World Cup but the war-battered country can claim some representation in South Africa in the shape of hip-hop singer K'naan.

The Mogadishu-born artist, now a Canadian resident, sang his hit Waving Flag at the inaugural concert on Thursday evening.

"It's very disappointing. We have our young rapper K'naan who is singing for the big event and us, his fellow citizens, cannot even watch him," said Kadro Alas, a 26-year-old woman from Mogadishu and dedicated Brazil supporter.

As a hip-hop artiste, a Westernised Somali and football lover, K'naan combines just about all the "evils" that the Shebab's religious police is tracking down in the city's youth.

"Football is nothing but a waste of time. Don't you know that when death presents you to him, Allah will ask you where you spent your time?," Shebab official Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim said.

"If you need to exercise, you can play on your own, but going to cinemas and watching games is forbidden in Islam," he said.

"This game is intended to blind the young generations and prevent them from worshipping Allah by performing good deeds. Praise be upon Allah for enabling us to root out all the evils from this country," the cleric added.

But Kadro Alas is ready to risk her life to see Brazil play.