Mogadishu (Somalia), Nov 21 (IANS): Spectators cheered and applauded as the two teams entered the pitch to play football in the newly-renovated but once war-ravaged Banadir Stadium here.

The match between Jenyo and Elman earlier this week was among the biggest of the tournament and the stadium was packed to capacity. As the referee whistled the start of the match, the crowd came to life, encouraging their respective teams, reports Xinhua.

Muse Jama, Jenyo's supporter, said the return of football here shows the love for the game and that the city is changing for the better.

"This is a clear sign that people of Mogadishu and the country in general are encouraged by the relative peace and stability and this match is a sign of it," Jama said.

The stadium had been the base for the warring sides and was extensively damaged before it was renovated and refitted with an artificial turf with funds from FIFA.

Football is one of the most popular sports in Somalia and has been played in the Horn of Africa for decades. Even during the height of the conflict, youths would arrange matches between neighbourhoods. But this is the first time the country's top level league played in Mogadishu in nearly 30 years.

"Football is the favourite sport in Somalia as much as of Africa and youths play it because the game is accessible to vast majority of them. It does not take much to play it," Harun Mahmoud, a former footballer who was watching the game, said.

Football and sports in general had their dark days in Somalia as the radical Islamist group Al Shabaab banned playing and watching sports in areas under their control including Mogadishu until they were ousted from the capital and much of the south-centre of the country in 2011.

People could face severe punishment if they were found to have breached the ban with some receiving lashings for simply watching football or playing it.

Somali government said sports and particularly football was a tool for 'peace and development' and Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud this week officially opened the Somali football league here. Hassan said football was a "powerful symbol of the transformation in Somalia from terrorism to peace".

Women were also watching the match at the stadium and were as passionate about football as much as the men.

"I come to watch the matches and am supporter of Elman. They are my favourite. I am really pleased to have this opportunity to watch football in peace and without fear," Hamdi Ali said.

Residents of Mogadishu are hopeful that other sports will also return after other sports facilities are renovated or new ones built.

Recently the Somalia government said it had an agreement with China to help renovate and rehabilitate previously Chinese funded projects including Mogadishu Stadium, the biggest sports facility in Somalia.

"I have no doubt that sports has a crucial role to play in helping peace and stability in Somalia. Once you see that people are attending sports, you know we are close to ending the conflict nightmare. This is a good sign," said Yahya Guled, a football fan.