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Gambia hold Liberia Monday, June 02, 2008 The Gambia Scorpions got off their campaign to the 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations on a bright note with a 1-1 away draw to Liberia in a Group 6 clash at the Samuel Doe Stadium in Monrovia, last evening. Belgian-based midfielder Mustapha Jarju (Toubabo) opened the scoring for the Scorpions as early as the fifteenth minute, but the home side grabbed the vital equaliser in the final fifteen minute after converting a free-kick. The Scorpions, under the aegis of Belgian Paul Put, could have grabbed the maximum points if they had capitalised on the string of scoring chances they created. Scorpions’ next game will see them host Terenga Lions of Senegal on Sunday, June 8, at the Independence stadium, Bakau. Senegal narrowly beat Algeria 1-0 in Dakar on Saturday with Abdoulaye Faye, who plays for Newcastle United, scoring the only goal in the 80th minute. The joint qualifier will decide on candidates for the first ever World Cup to be held on African soil. The qualification process will also decide the 15 teams who will join host Angola to take part at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. There are 48 teams involved in the first round which is a 12 group, round-robin, dual qualification process with only five places available for African teams at the World Cup. The group winners and eight best runners up will qualify through to a further group stage where the teams will then be split in to five groups of four. The five group winners will book a place at the South Africa finals, while the group winners and eleven best losers will make up the 16-team Nations Cup tournament in Angola. Author: by Nanama Keita CommentsDr. Borry Jatta - Bakau, Gambia Tuesday, June 03, 2008 9:29 PM Gambia Football Association –Qualifying for 2008 National team selection.
Over the past few weeks, I have gone on the internet several times a day to follow the progress of the preparation of the scorpion and the final selection for the Liberia game. I was not impressed by the Gambian press, papers and journalists excitement with the arrival of the Gambian foreign based players. They seem to completely shun the home based players and what they have brought to the Gambian football. All the commentary in all materials to do with the preparation focused on names of foreign based players, really disappointing. The most important thing is that GFA have up to date firsthand knowledge on the progress of all these foreign base players. GFA must know each players current physical condition, performance and appear in their foreign club games. That is what happens elsewhere to determine who plays for the national team. I have every confidence in Paul Put the new coach but he is very new in this position and until he knows the players well enough, he will listen to his GFA advisers. Paul will need time to get to know his players and in the mean time, he needs good GFA advice. You are aware of the good home base players we are blessed with too. They have brought glory to the nation and they must be encouraged and given the opportunity. Please do not get carried away with names of foreign base players many of whom you have not seen playing for months. I am confident that by mixing the home lads and foreign base players, we have competent number of players to not only to continue rising in the FIFA ranking but to qualify for the 2008 world cup. I hope that Paul, the new coach and the GFA learned something from the 1-1 draw in Liberia and consider including good lads at home with the good home lads based abroad in foreign clubs for his final selection for the Gambia V Senegal match. I am sure we can defeat Senegal but we will need careful team selection not based on names of players we have always heard mentioned, links to foreign clubs but on careful scrutiny of fitness, ability, skills, commitment, devotion and performance. I am confident that GFA, in good partnership with Paul Put, will see to it that the Gambia qualifies for the 2008 world cup. We are counting on you.
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