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Gambia tackle Guinea in Wafu opener today

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:59:45 GMT

Friday, November 28, 2008

The Gambia Under 20 team, Darling Scorpions, are in great shape to pick up three points against opponents Syli Nationales of Guinea, as the revived West African Football Union (WAFU) competition opens in the Nigerian state of Delta today.

The Scorpions open their campaign against fellow West African counterparts at the Jay Jay Okocha Stadium in the south of the country, where they will also take on neighbours, Senegal on Sunday, before their final group clash with familiar foes Ghana on Tuesday.

The Gambia’s head coach Alagie Sarr told Observer Sports yesterday: “The Boys are in good shape despite enduring a hectic journey from Banjul. We have had two training sessions yesterday and we look sharp in all departments.”

“This morning we will have a light training session at the match venue as we prepare for the battle against Guinea,” said coach Sarr who also hinted that the Boys have been talking about crossing the group hurdle first and then focus on the trophy.

Entertaining football

The former Wallidan and Ports Authority manager also promised that the team he and his technical crew members would present today would try and give Gambians back home and indeed their Nigerian hosts an entertaining game with maximum discipline.

Gambia U-20 players receive instructions after a light a training session last night
“We are here for the cup and we would try to achieve that dream with positive and entertainment value from the team. We would also try and maintain maximum discipline throughout the course of the event,” said one of the most successful Gambian local coaches.

To be skippered by Hawks United’s Pierre Gomez, the Darling Scorpions will take on their Guinea counterparts at 4pm Nigeria time today, which is 3pm in Banjul.

Author: by Nanama Keita in Lagos, Nigeria

Two Gambian Athletes leave for Jamaica

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:58:21 GMT

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Suwaibu Sanneh and Isaac Jones, Gambia’s fastest sprinters, have recently left the shores of the country for Jamaica’s High Performance Training Centre for sprinters. The duo will under-go a four-year training course in KingstonJamaica.

According to the secretary general of The Gambia Athletic Association and treasurer of the confederation African Athletes, Mr. Dodou Capi Joof, the duo are currently in an institution were Husan Bolt is a record holder. And more significantly the two athletes are going to share the same coach with Bolt.

Mr. Joof adduced that this deal was negotiated on behalf of GAA through Lamin Jacque, president of IAAF, who awarded the scholarship for the two athletes.

Mr. Joof further disclosed that the two athletes would be here next May, to take part in the Dakar Grand Prix. However, in the track and field event, Suwaibu Sanneh, won a silver medal at the last Commonwealth Youth Championship in Pune India.

The times of the two athletes are, Suwaibu Sanneh 10.43 minutes in 100 metres and Isaac Jones 10.5 seconds for 100 metres

Author: Soury Camara

Source: Picture: Mr. Dodou Capi Joof

Coach Paul Put Isn’t Going Anywhere

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:59:16 GMT

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Who wants to take our coach away from us? Senegal? Guinea? No way! He is here for good. Senegal or Guinea may want to entice him with more money, together with other mouth-watering incentives. But we are sure that Coach Paul Put is not out for the highest bidder. He knows what he wants.

He wants a big name for himself; in a way he is already a historic figure, having taken the Scorpions to the den of the Teranga Lions and made a mess of their 2010 Nations Cup-World Cup ambition. His achievement is so great that even our football rivals now want him onboard to do for them what he has done for us – and will continue to do for us.

Coach Paul Put is not going away because he still sees his job in The Gambia as an unfinished business. Deep within him, he wants to have the glory of being the coach who takes The Gambia to both the Nations Cup and/or the World Cup in the near future. From what he has done so far, he has the capability to accomplish that goal. And not only that, he enjoys the goodwill of all Gambians, including the President himself. Money is important, but with Coach Paul Put what is more important now is a legacy that will entrench his name for posterity. Neither Senegal nor Guinea offers him that chance. He would like to be there with the Scorpions in their debut appearances in the 2012 Nations Cup and in the 2014 World Cup. Then his name will go down in history as the architect of the golden generation of Gambian football.

We are happy to see that Coach Paul Put himself has given his word to stick with the Scorpions through thick and thin.

Rather than being distracted from the job in hand with all these offers, we urge Coach Paul Put to ignore them and concentrate on building the Scorpions for the challenges ahead. This is the time to scout for new talents and strengthen the old ones. It is the mixture of the old and the new that will build the dream team for The Gambia. It takes time to build a winning team; ask Freguson, Morinho, Bruno and Westerholf and they will all tell you that it’s an uphill task. With Coach Paul Put, we stand a chance of making it to the elite position of world football. So we are calling on him to stay and make history for himself and The Gambia. In other words, Coach Paul Put ain’t going nowhere!

“The propriety of some persons seems to consist in having improper thoughts about their neighbours.

F.H. Bradley

Bravo to the Scorpions

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:58:25 GMT

Friday, November 07, 2008

Editor,

Please, allow me some space in your widely read newspaper to join HE the President of our dear Motherland, Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, in crying foul, aloud to CAF and or FIFA authorities for their effort in denying our gallant scorpions a well-earned qualification place to the Africa cup of nations.

As HE had stated in his exclusive interview with Mr Kebba Dibba of GRTS, it will be prudent to challenge the decision of the effort to deny our scorpions from being pronounced as qualified actors in the forth-coming international competitions in the African cup of nations; who knows may be God will help us qualify for the world cup as well.

Let CAF and FIFA be reminded that the FA cup in England and even the world cup in general is made more exciting by the participation of smaller teams who in competitions are potential giant killers. It is settled that any rule governing sport must be publicized to participants before the start of the tournament; otherwise such a rule is not in existence and so will be inoperative.

So CAF and or FIFA, I am sure you will not wait to be reminded that confidence in your impartiality as African and world football governing authorities respectively will without doubt be seriously questioned and marred if any wrong yardstick is used to eliminate giant killers from the tourneys even before they got going.

Bravo to the scorpions, the able coach, the caring President of the Republic of The Gambia, Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh and all fans and people and friends of The Gambia.

The road to the African cup of nations in South Africa 2010 should be open to us as we have already earned our place competitively and deservedly: So CAF and FIFA get it right and don’t keep us out by enforcing unpublicized, unknown and non-existing rules before the tournament; and include us as giant killers and do not exclude us: for fairness is a watch word to be spoken, breathed in every aspect of human existence and you (CAF and or FIFA) should be seen to be acting fairly and not unfairly to make opportunities and heroism to be attain in the sporting events you govern.

Momodou SM. Jallow (Aga)
Law student, UTG

Author: DO

Under 17 Assistant Coach Sambou Optimistic

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:25:06 GMT

Thursday, October 30, 2008

The assistant coach of the Gambia National under 17 team, Mr. Lamin sambou has expressed optimism on the prospect of his team to emerge victorious over Ghana under 17 team and qualify to the 2009 CAF under 17 youth championship in Algiers.

Assistant coach Sambou stated that, his boys are ready for victory in Accra next week to rekindling a short lasted cheerfulness of football fans during just the ended Gambia and Senegal. Mr. Sambou adduced that his boys will perform to expectation in Accra come next week.

Considering the success of Ghana in youth football in Africa, coach sambou called on all Gambians to support our boys in all ways.

Author: Lamin Darboe

U17 Move To Camp

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:48:36 GMT

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

As part of preparation for the only hope of the Gambia in continental football tournament, the Gambia national U17 team has finally moved to camp with 25 players at the Golden Beach Hotel in Bijilo.

In and interview with Pointsports, Lamin Sambou alias LS the assistant coach of the team said “the moral is very high at the camp and the boys are ready for victory in Accra, Ghana on the week of November 2008 and the boys will certainly come with victory by the help of God”.

He said that “Gambia Football Association are trying all they can to help the team get qualify for the CAF U17 youth championship in Algeria 2009.” He then urge the general public to pray for the team so that they can achieved victory in Ghana and get qualify for the championship.

Meanwhile below is the list of players that are currently in camp.

1. Musa Camara

2. Baba Dumbuya

3. Ebou Jarju

4. Matarr Jobe

5. Lamin Samateh

6. Baboucarr Sama

7. Baboucarr Jawneh

8. Abdou Njie

9. Salifu Badjie

10. Omar Colley

11. Buba Findi Jammeh

12. Saihou Gassama

13. Muhammed Sukufara

14. Fancu Simaka

15. Dawda Secka

16. Ebou Bojang

17. Alasanna Camara

18. Jatta Baldeh

19. Cherno Njie

20. Sainey Sambou

21. Pateh Nyang

22. Dawada Ceesay

23. Kawsu Jatta

24. Mamur Saine

Baboucarr Saine

Author: Lamin Darboe

Source: Picture: Gambia U-17 Team

Where is Bonu Johnson

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:11:15 GMT

Monday, October 27, 2008

Editor,

I don't think Mr Lamin Sarr is to be blamed in the failure of the Under20 team to qualify. The big question is what happened to the coach that achieved a result we’d never seen before with the Under17 and the Under20, Mr. Peter Bonu Johnson? Why did we even appoint a foreign coach after his achievements with the junior teams? May be I am missing something here or I am not in the country; but can somebody give me an authentic answer with regards to Mr Bonu Johnson not coaching our youth teams?

I don't know why we compare these local coaches to somebody like Bonu who has lived the life of a player and knows what it takes in every aspect.

let us not forget how much he sacrificed for the Gambia. Bonu is a coach who has this close relationship with his players, quite a vital thing for the players.

Many Gambian coaches have done well to some extent lets face the fact. Some are not coaches. They are only passionate about the game but that does not make them coaches. They should stop taking tasks that they can't run and stop criticizing Bonu. Despite the certificates they might have obtained, they are nothing compared to Bonu Johnson.

Talking about certificate, the statement of Lamin Sarr was inappropriate, when he said he was not afraid of any coach. Meaning he had the certificates, and so he could challenge any local coach. He is missing the point, which is, we did not qualify and besides we don't care how certified he is after our failure to qualify.

I think Bonu deserves a lot more respect than he is getting right now. These coaches and the GFA need to put aside their group differences and stop criticizing the man and appoint him for the interest of all Gambians. In fact, who make these decisions of firing and appointing coaches and why are they not held responsible? If anybody can give me a legitimate answer, especially from the GFA, I'll highly appreciate it.

Abu Manne

Author: DO

Gambia U17 Assistant Coach Demands Massive Support

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:40:52 GMT

Friday, October 17, 2008

Following the elimination of the Gambia’s U20 by Ghana and the CAF tricky formula that denied the senior national team a place in the second preliminaries round for the world and African cup of nation, the Assistant Coach of the darling U17 team, the only hope of the nation of making it to the continental competition, Lamin Sambou has called on both the general public and private sector to give massive support for the U17 team to make sure that the team qualify.

Speaking to Pointsports in an interview Mr. Sambou revealed that the team is at this point in time preparing for the first leg in AccraGhana in November 2008, for the CAF U17 championship.

He maintained that the players are training very hard to make sure that they gain qualification.

“They are the only hope now as the senior and U20 teams are already out. All we need now is the prayers of the general public and their support and by the help of God we will qualify,” a confident Lamin Sambou said.

“The team needs both the support of the private sector and the general public, both financially and morally to give them more courage,” he added.

It could be recalled that the Gambia U17 team eliminated the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in the first round of the CAF U17 championship qualifiers and will be meeting Ghana in the final of the qualifiers. It could be equally important to recalled that the Ghanaian U20 team eliminated the Gambia U20 team, denying them their second chance of appearance in the U20 youth tournament. The U17 is now the only Gambia’s hope of taking part in continental tournament this year and will be looking for a revenge, for the U20 defeat in Banjul in early November 2008.

Author: Lamin Darboe

Source: Picture: Gambia U-17

Sacked Senegal coach demands unpaid wages

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:14:56 GMT

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Dismissed Senegal coach, Lamine Ndiaye, is claiming all unpaid wages from Senegal government after he was fired by the Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee currently running Senegalese football on Monday evening.

The under-fire coach whose contract was due to expire at the end of the month, was dismissed by the Normalisation Committee following the team's failure to reach the final phase of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. The Teranga Lions could only finish third in Group 6 following their 1-1 draw at home to The Gambia Scorpions.

After being showing an exit door even before his contract ends, coach Ndiaye now wants the Senegalese government to pay him all his dues before he could say good bye. This amount, Wal Fadjri Sports revealed, represents the sum of 13 Millions of Cfa, on the basis of 500 000 frank Cfa a month.

Shortly after his expected sacking, some officials, such as Sports Minister Bacar Dia, wanted to keep Ndiaye in his post - simply to avoid any legal wrangling since his contract was due to expire at the end of October. But it seems the Normalisation Committee were in no mood of keeping the coach after their shock exit which prompted intense violence in the former French colony.

Ndiaye, a former international, took charge of Senegal during January's Nations Cup in Ghana following the shock resignation of Henri Kasperczak midway through the tournament. His early months in the job were anything but easy as some 30 Senegalese football federation members resigned in the wake of Senegal's disastrous Nations Cup campaign.

Author: DO

Congratulation to the Scorpions

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:09:51 GMT

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Editor,

Congratulations to the Scorpions. I can remember what happened in 2003 as I was in Dakar. Let everyone put in something for the boys and their coach. I am looking forward to the full team picture and their names. Once more, thanks to both the boys and the fans.

Author: DO