Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the senior national team.

[1][2] The Somalia national under-20 football team was first established to participate in the 1987 African Youth Championship.

However, after this, the team did not participate in any major tournaments until the 2001 African Youth Championship, where they were disqualified in the preliminary round against Uganda.

In the 2003 edition, they suffered a significant 6–0 defeat against Nigeria, one of Africa’s football powerhouses.

[3] In 2021, Somalia re-entered the international youth football scene, competing in the 2020 CECAFA U-20 Championship, which also served as a qualifier for the 2021 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Mauritania.