Could the findings of the task force constituted by the National Football governing body (GFA) to look into the matter of Ebrima Sohna, which is a subject of brawl concerning ownership of the player between Wallidan FC and Steve Biko FC be any guide, then Ebrima Sohna is owned by Wallidan FC.

Wallidan took a stance against Steve Biko, a rather puzzled tale, regarding the issuance of an International Transfer Certificate to Sohna, who now plays for Sandefjord FC, a first division side in Norway, at the request of Steve Biko, in spite of a declaration by the player himself that he was a property of Steve Biko at one stage.
The task force indicated in their report that from the documentary and overall oral evidence gathered so far it has no doubt that Ebrima Sohna is owned by Wallidan and not Steve Biko, a report which tends to divide public opinion: is the player owned by Wallidan or Steve Biko?

Meanwhile things seem to go down well for Wallidan, and by now Steve Biko would admit defeat in its claim to own the young star and retire to lick its wounds in a surreal twist.
The report indicated that Ebrima Sohna is a Wallidan fortune as there is preponderance of documentary evidence that Ebrima Sohna is, and was, a Wallidan player at the time his International Transfer Certificate was issued at the request of Steve Biko FC.

The report continued that “it was improper for Steve Biko FC to request for an International Transfer Certificate from the Gambia Football Association,” and also blamed the GFA Secretariat in the way and manner it handled the matter pertaining to Ebrima Sohna adding that “ there is every reason to believe that there is complicity and conflict of interest on the side of the GFA officials regarding this matter.”
“Consequently, Ebrima Sohna’s transfer to Sandefjord FC of Norway by Steve Biko is improper and not in consonance with both domestic and FIFA regulations”, the report stated.

The task force, involving Kebba Masaneh Ceesay, Vice Chairman of the GFA Technical Committee, Badou Jassey, Chairman of the GFA Referees committee, Mr Charles Thomas of the National Sports Council and Mr Lamin Camara, A Barrister at Law, recommended that the Steve Biko Management immediately, without any delay, render full account to Wallidan FC of all administrative and financial transactions in respect of the transfer of Ebrima Sohna to Sandefjord FC and that Sandefjord FC and FIFA be informed accordingly of this decision.

Pointing the way to the future, the report further recommended that in future inter-club transfers, de-registration, etc., be made as transparent as possible and brought to the attention of the GFA President and all the relevant Stakeholders.

According to evidence gathered, one thing which is incontrovertible is that Sohna was registered by Wallidan in 2005 and has played during that FA period. All the official Referees pre-match reports have indicated Sohna entering the field of play as Wallidan player. Sohna is in all the Referees’ match reports as playing for Wallidan. He was also on the list of players registered by Wallidan for 2005 and 2006, and he has never played any match in any particular season for Steve Biko.

It will be noted that last January in the CAF Youth Championship(20 January to 3 February 2007 in Congo), the GFA forwarded the list of the Gambian  squad to CAF declaring that the following were members of the squad with their respective Clubs: Sohna was again officially listed as Wallidan player.

Given all this preponderance of evidence in favour of Wallidan, it seems evident that the GFA Secretariat have a case to answer for likely complicity in this matter, and the Biko Club to account to Wallidan through GFA, all monies and administrative transactions. It is believed that the football public would also like to know the nature of transactions in this and similar international transfer arrangements of our national players. Who were the individuals who received monies for the transfer… how much money was involved in the initial payment and subsequent payments to Sohna’s Gambian team by Sandefjiord FC of Norway? This is the information expected.