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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
THE world’s most famous driving instructor, a club-less captain, an unattached midfield star and other players drawn from the backwaters of the Finnish, Norwegian, Italian and American amateur leagues are in town.

They are on a mission to write football’s greatest fairytale.

And, they are all part of the homeless Ocean Stars who captured the imagination of the globe on Thursday after winning their first World Cup qualifier following a shock 1-0 victory over the Warriors on the neutral fields of Djibouti.

Since that match last week, the Somalia Sensation has been trending in world football:

90 – the number of FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking places between Somalia (202) and Zimbabwe

35 – the number of years since Somalia’s last AFCON qualifying win

10 – the number of years since their last victory, a friendly match against Tanzania

27 – the number of winless matches since they beat the Taifa Stars in January 2009

18 – the number of successive defeats suffered ahead of last Thursday’s match

0 – the number of World Cup qualifying wins for Somalia before they met the Warriors

And, ahead of the decisive reverse fixture at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon, it appears the world is still singing in their corner.

‘‘Somalia’s miracle men eye more history,’’ screamed FIFA on their official website yesterday in their preview of today’s match at the giant stadium.

The Somali politicians have also been feasting on the feel-good factor provided by the Ocean Stars’ stunning result in Djibouti last Thursday.

“Congratulations to our Ocean Stars. Your victory is remarkable. You have played purposely,’’ Somali President Mohamed said in a Twitter post.

And, the Somali Presidential palace communications director, Abdi Nour Mohamed Ahmed, also took to Twitter to praise the Ocean Stars.

“We did it! We beat Zimbabwe 1-0! That was Spectacular from our Ocean Stars. Your victory has inspired us and brought smiles. Let’s keep our Qatar2022 dreams alive because Impossible isn’t in our vocabulary,” Ahmed said.

So, who are these Miracle Men from Somalia who have been causing such a stir in world football since, for the first time in their history, they found a way to win a World Cup qualifier?

We have all heard about Mohamud Ali, the man who also works as a driving instructor in Manchester, England, and plays for semi-professional side Curzon Ashton.

He is a 25-year-old defender who played the entire 90 minutes in Djibouti, after having apologised to his driving students that he would be leaving them for a while to play for his country, and helped the Ocean Stars keep a clean sheet against the Warriors.

Born in the Netherlands, he is one of the many players in this Somali team who were not born in their country but answered the call to come and represent the Ocean Stars in international football.

His brother Ahmed, is the captain, a 28-year-old who also had Dutch citizenship and provided the assist for the late goal that powered them to victory.

Ahmed, of course, is currently clubless.

Most of the players are young, between the ages of 20 and 23, with defender Abdi Mohamed (22), making his Ocean Stars debut in that World Cup match against the Warriors.

He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and is on loan at American semi-professional side Memphis ’90 from New York City.

The other defender, Yonis Farah, is only 20 and was born in London, England, and plays for Norwegian amateur side Trysil FK and, like many of his teammates, also made his debut in the match against the Warriors.

Ahmed Said Ahmed is just 21 and featured in that match against the Warriors, winning his first cap, and plays for Finnish amateur side Vantaa.

Nineteen-year-old winger Abd-El-Aziz Yousef was born in Saudi Arabia and now plays his football at Canadian side HFX Wanderers. Fahad Abdisamed Ishmail is 23 and plays in midfield and, like his skipper, he is also clubless and has dual English and Somali citizenship.

Abukar Mohamed is one of the few players born in Mogadishu, and now has dual Somali/Finnish citizenship, a central midfielder who earned his second cap against the Warriors.

Omar Mohamed is also 23 and has dual Somali/American citizenship and plays for Greenville Triumph in the United States lower leagues. He was born in Mogadishu and moved to Cairo, Egypt, with his family at the age of six before they switched to settle in the United States in 2005.

Abdusalmed Abdullahi played in midfield last Thursday and was born in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and plays for Den Bosch in the Dutch lower leagues.

Two of the three substitutes the Ocean Stars used that day, including 20-year-old goal-scorer, Anwar Sidali Shakunda, are both based at home where they play for Elman FC and seven-time Somali champions Horseed, while 20-year-old defender Abel Gigli is at lower league Italian side AC Gozzano.