Gambia international Njogu Demba scored a 45th minute goal to aid his Brann side to a c home victory against Lillestrom in the Norwegian Tippeliga on Sunday.

The athletic striker set up forward-pair Einarsson to open the scoring in the 22nd minute before the visitors grasped an equaliser five minutes before half-time.

Hopes were restored when the former Panathinaikos, FC Kerkira and Esbjerg striker, coiled in a stunning free-kick to earn his first league goal and in effect aided the champions to land their second win in five league matches.

Sunday’s victory saw Brann climbed up to ninth position in the fourteen-team league table on seven points, four points behind the leaders, Stabaek.

Njogu Demba joins Tijan at Brann Gambian international striker, Njogu Demba, has teamed-up with Tijan Jaiteh at FC Brann in Norway. The 28-year old talismanic striker has put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal, Observer Sports can reveal. Brann and Demba’s former Danish club, Esbjerg, have agreed on a 9,5 million NOK deal that brings the Gambian-Swedish striker to the Norwegian champions.

 The athletic striker will be eligible to play for Brann on February 1, 2008, and Brann will hope that he can perform for them against the English giants, Everton, in the UEFA Club competition in mid-February. Demba will also join his new club for their upcoming pre-season camp at Spanish resort La Manga the coming two weeks, where Brann will face Swedes Helsingborg and Danes FC K¯benhavn as a warm-up to the new Norwegian league season.

"I'm happy to have signed the deal with Brann and I'm really looking forward to starting my new career here", Demba said. A native of Bakau, moved to Sweden as a youngster.

He has previously played for Swedish sides Falun BS and BK H‰cken, before moving to Greece. While in Greece, Demba played for PAS Giannina, Aris FC, Kerkyra FC and Panathinaikos. The experienced striker also played for Bulgarian side Levski Sofia. Since 2006, Demba has played for Danish top division side Esbjerg, where he had netted 23 times in 71 league appearances.