Gambia and Ports Authority rocky  defender is currently on trial with England David Beckham’s American MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy, Observer Sports has reliably gathered.

The 19-year-old former Under 17 ace was spotted by Galaxy’s director of soccer, Paul Bravo, during his recent trip to Africa and he is expected to train with the American giants for the next two weeks.

“Yes central defender Mandou Bojang is training with the club right now. He is a big centre-back”

“He played in all four World Cup games in Canada last summer, and has been capped by the senior team. We are excited to take a look at him,” Paul Bravo was quoted saying.
Los Angeles Galaxy (or L.A. Galaxy) is an American soccer club based in Los Angeles, California. The club plays in Major League Soccer (MLS); America's highest division of soccer.

The club has won the MLS Cup twice (2002, 2005), and the U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005). Galaxy play their home matches at The Home Depot Center in suburban Carson, California, which they share with arch-rival, Chivas USA.

In January 2007, the club made international headlines by signing English superstar David Beckham, to a record deal potentially worth $250 million. Beckham is currently club captain, with Ruud Gullit being club coach.

Gambia and SK Lierse striker, Assan Jatta, commonly known as Bierhoff, is currently on a 10-day trial with the American Major League Soccer club, FC Dallas, Observer Sports can reveal.

The 24-year-old forward joined  SK Lierse in 2007 alongside his comrade Mustapha Jarju from Steve Biko, but his failure to adapt to life at the Belgian club saw him spent the better part of his two-year contract with another second division side, K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel.

His one-year loan spell with Geel expired last season and it seems SK Lierse are in no mood of keeping the injury-plagued forward who has 12 caps to his name.

FC Dallas is a North American professional soccer team based in Frisco, Texas, United States.

Founded in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, the team plays in Major League Soccer (MLS).  From 1996-2002 the team played in the Cotton Bowl. In an effort to save money due to the club's unfavorable lease with the Cotton Bowl, the club played its 2003 home games at Dragon Stadium, a high school stadium in Southlake, a Fort Worth suburb.

After listening to its fans, the Dallas Burn, as the team was called from 1996-2004, moved back to the Cotton Bowl for the 2004 season.

In August 2005, the club moved into Pizza Hut Park, a soccer-specific stadium in the northern suburb of Frisco. To celebrate this move, the club rebranded itself with a more soccer-fitting name, FC Dallas.

Barely a week since Bakau nawettan teams rallied and unceremoniously removed their sports committee for alleged lack of
commitment to duty, Serrekuda West teams also want to repeat the same thing in their zone.

Eleven of the twenty teams at the Serrekunda West are looking set to push for the impeachment of the current committee, which is headed by Musa Mendy.

Lamin Bojang, a team representative, yesterday told Observer Sports that the teams were at advance stage of removing the committee for what he described as their lack of commitment to the development of sports at the Serrekunda West.

He said: “Each year we pay registration fees. And this year alone, the committee is expecting nothing less than D60,000 (sixty thousand dalasis) from qualifying rounds only, yet we hardly see any improvement at the zone. So we want the committee out.”

When contacted to shed more light on the matter, Pa Sulay Jobe, secretary-general of the Serrekunda West Sports Committee, admitted that there exist some differences between the committee and the teams.

He said the teams were asking for a reduction in the registration fee from D1,500 (one thousand five hundred dalasis) to D1,000 (one thousand dalasis), adding that this may not be favourable.

Backing the committee’s quest for developing sports in the area, Jobe said, the committee currently has D200,000 (two hundred thousand dalasis) in its account, adding that they were about to embark on a project that will see the mini-stadium electrified.

The preliminary round for the Bakau nawettan season will commence today, Observer Sports can reveal.

Seven teams will take part in a preliminary round that will be played in a round-robin format. Four teams will qualify to the second round where they will meet the four teams that were relegated last season for the final qualifier.

In today’s opening fixture, World XI will take on Njogu Demba FC at the Cocktail playground in Bakau Newtown, while Africell face 5 Junction at the Bakau Mini-stadium. Matches will continue on Friday with 2 Strong FC taking on Tapha FC at the Cocktail ground.

Meanwhile, Observer Sports has gathered that the former vice-president of the Bakau Sports Committee, Bakary Dampha, who was impeached alongside his comrades, is still holding on to the properties of the sports committee.

The Bakary Dampha led-committee was unceremoniously removed last week by the Bakau teams during a meeting convened by the KMC Divisional Sports Committee. The team representatives later elected an interim committee to run this year’s nawettan season ahead of next year’s congress.

Shortly after their removal, however, Dampha and his team were reported to have gone to the Bakau Mini-stadium, where they made away with the properties of the committee including balls, football jerseys among others.

The head coach of Real de Banjul, Musa Njie, has been sacked, Observer Sports can reveal. Coach Njie, who guided the Banjul club to the 2007 league title, was shown the exit door on Tuesday, July 1, after what the club management described as a poor run of form.

His immediate assistant, Papa Sarr Corr, has been appointed as caretaker coach.

Ibrahima Koromah, team manager of the division one giants confirmed the removal of Musa Njie to Observer Sports yesterday.

“Twelve draws and three defeats in twenty matches is enough for a coach to go. We are least satisfy with the performance of the team under his guidance and we thought it was a right move to let him go,” Koromah told Observer Sports.

The Gambia under 20 team will take on their Senegal counterparts in a friendly international football match scheduled for Sunday, June 22, at the Independence Stadium, officials at the GFA secretariat told Observer Sports.

Sunday’s friendly will accord Italian coach Lorenzo Rubbinacci the chance to test the strength of his squad ahead of the 2009 African Youth Championship qualifier starting next weekend.

The Italian coach is also expected to unveil two Gambian youngsters who recently opted to play for Gambia.

Striker Yusupha Yaffa, who plies his trade with the Italian Serie C side, AC Cuneo 1905, and Muhamed Mbye, who plays his club football in France, will all be available for selection on Sunday.

The Gambia will host Mauritania on June 28, in the first leg of Rwanda 2009 qualifier. The winner in the two-leg tie will face either Ghana or Libya in the next stage of the campaign.

The Gambia are now tagged as a big gun in youth football - thanks to the heroic performances the Darling Scorpions in past youth tournaments.

A bronze medalists at the 2007 African Under 20 finals hosted in Congo Brazzaville, the Gambia Under 20 team made their first-ever appearance at the World Under 20 finals hosted in Canada later in the same year.

Gerteh-Gi beat Young Steve Biko 1-0 on Sunday, to emerge as champions of the  sixth edition of Samba Faal’s Generous Football Trophy” staged by the Banjulinding Sports Committee.

Amadou Keita scored the only goal of the game to earn his side the giant trophy.

The nine-team football tournament was organised by Mr Momodou Rongo Jarju, a renowned cultural musician, with the ultimate aim of promoting the culture of peace, cooperation and mutual understanding among the youth of the area.

Speaking to Observer Sports shortly after the final, Rongo expressed his delight at the way the competition was  being conducted. He hailed the participating teams for the high sense of discipline and understanding they showed during the course of the tournament.

Sunday’s final was graced by scores of dignitaries including the lord Mayor of Banjul, Samba Faal, Sheriffou Colley, Alkalo of Banjulinding, among others.

Scorpions coach, Belgian Paul Put, has told Observer Sports that he was very much satisfied with his side’s 1-1 away draw to the Lone Stars of Liberia on Sunday, but he was quick to add that he would have loved to come home with the maximum points.

The Scorpions got off their campaign to the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-1 draw to Liberia, a result the former SK Lierse coach believes was a fair deal.

Speaking to Observer Sports shortly after landing at the Banjul International air port, Paul Put said: “I have two feelings about the game. If you score a goal in the early minute and concede a goal in the last minute through a free-kick, that is always painful.”

“But before the game, I would say a draw in Liberia was a good result, because you play against the team and the home crowd, which is always difficult.”

We had the best opportunities to score four or five goals, but it didn’t go that way. But looking at the result and the short time I have with the team, I am satisfied.”

The Scorpions will host the Terenga Lions of Senegal on June 8, and the European said the big work has just begun.

“Our people have to come and support the team. They have to be behind to push the team forward.”

“To be honest, Senegal have big players, so it will be a tough game. But I have confidence in this team. The spirit in the team gives the feeling that we can do it and with the support of the fans we will do it.”

Asked on where the Scorpions’ weakness lies as a team, Paul Put said: “I did not see any weakness in the team, though scoring is a problem for the future. But the positive side is to be able to create four or five chances away and scoring a goal. So we have a team and I think the players are determined to play and that’s what matters.”

Lamin King Colley was on Sunday reelected as president of the Brikama Youth and Sports Association, Observer Sports can reveal. Colley pipped his opponent, Lamin Sanneh, with a record margin, to retain the highest position in a day-long biennial congress held at the Regional Education offices in Brikama.

Out of the 31 registered clubs within the densely populated town, King Colley pulled 26 against Lamin Sanneh’s 5 votes to become the president of Brikama sports association for another two years.

The gathering also saw Pa Ansu Nyassi elected as first vice-president, while Nyanko Bojang was retained as second vice-president. Borry Jarju beat Alagie Darboe to the position of the secretary general, while Alagie Tamba was also retained as his assistant.

Alasana Bojang was elected as the social secretary, while Alasana Bojang was named the assistant social secretary. The position of the treasurer went to Karamo Jarju. In his maiden speech shortly after his re-election, King Colley heaped praises on the clubs in Brikama  for the trust and confidence they bestowed on him, and he promised to work in their best interest.