Lamin Kaba Bajo, President of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF), has expressed satisfaction at the performance of the country’s National Squad against Zambia in a friendly encounter held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on Monday.

Speaking to the media after the game, Bajo said the Scorpions highly impressed him, expressing optimism that with the performance from the friendly game, they can trouble South Africa during their next weekend’s  AFCON qualifier game.

He added that the goalless draw result is not a bad one as  Zambia has a better side blessed with quality players. “Gambia has fought to the last minute of the game which is a good sign in the rebuilding process of the team,” he noted.

He urged Coach Sang Ndong to get back to the drawing board and fix out what was missing in the friendly encounter in order to grab the three points against South Africa. Bajo praised the team and officials for a job well done, and encouraged them to keep up the great work.

Marcel Mendy, Executive Director of National Sports Council, commended the effort of the Scorpions, saying their performance was great and that they should keep up the momentum. “I was so excited with what they have played and I’m so impressed to realise the readiness in them to continue doing it for the nation. I hope and pray that we beat South Africa in our next weekend’s AFCON qualifier game.

by Modou Lamin Jammeh

It was a rare opportunity for local-based players to prove their capability in Coach Sang Ndong’s local-based-dominated squad that played against Zambia in an international friendly last Monday.

Well, one player who will live to remember this day is former Brikama United and current Real De Banjul star player Bully Drammeh whose stunning performance impressed spectators that turned up to watch the game at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Not only was he applauded but also fans went the extreme of intruding the pitch just to have a picture with the lad after the final whistle.

Shortly after the game, Observer Sports managed to speak to the lad who was making his first appearance for the senior national team.

“I thank all Gambians because this is my first international game for the senior national team and I have always worked towards this day. The coach will always tell us that if you perform you will be part of the starting eleven; this is why I always do extra training even when I go home.”

The Real de Banjul forward had few chances to put The Gambia ahead. He told Observer Sports that he was a bit disappointed that he did not score.

Drammeh said he was proud to have finally worn the senior national team jersey and is hoping to go professional soon.

by Alieu Ceesay

Gambia and Djurgarden IF defender Omar Colley is hoping to see the Scorpions give a respectable performance when they host the Bafana Bafana of South Africa next Saturday in the AFCON qualifiers.

The first leg ended in a goalless draw in South Africa. The game will be played at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Gambia’s captain, Omar Colley who could not make it in the Gambian side that played against Zambia arrived in the country late but managed to watch the game.

“It is good that I am here in time for the game against South Africa after a long journey from Sweden. It is too early to talk about the team, but we all know what it takes to play for the national team and it is a big task because South Africa is not a small nation,” adding that the team is going to give its best and will try to make sure it has the three points, as the Gambia is yet to win any match in this qualifiers.

“They are called to play for the national team and it is a big thing for them and most of them are local-based players. So it is a big opportunity for them to improve themselves and show the coach what they are capable of doing,” he told Observer Sports describing the game against Zambia as a “Good test for the local-based players”.

The team was captained by defender Buba Sanneh in the absence of defender and team captain Omar Colley. The Djurgarden defender said Buba Sanneh deserved to be the captain of the team as a mature and experienced player.

by Alieu Ceesay

The referee Commission of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed an Ivoirian panel of referees to officiate Gambia’s group M match day 5 of the 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifiers billed for Saturday June 4, 2016 at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Central Referee Denis DEMBELE will be assisted by Marius Donatien TAN and   Mamadou Sherif BOGBE, all from Cote D’Ivoire.

Referee Denis Dembélé, born on the 09 September, 1978 got his FIFA batch in 2009 and  has been officiating top matches in Africa including World Cup and African National qualifiers.

The latest was on March 25, 2016 when he took charge of Mali’s 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in 2017 afcon qualifiers.

Papa Gassama takes up Benin Vs Equatorial Guinea

The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has named Gambia’s and Africa best referee Bakary Papa Gassama   as the central referee in the 2017 African Cup of  Nations (afcon) qualifiers match between Benin and Equatorial Guinea  on Sunday, June 5,  2016 at the Stade de l’Amitié de Kouhounou , Cotonou.

Papa Gassama will be assisted by two other Gambian referees namely Sulayman Sosseh and Omar Darboe.

Bakary Papa Gassama , born 10 February 1979, became a FIFA referee in 2007.  He officiated at the 2012 Olympic tournament,  in which he was the fourth official for the gold medal match between Mexico and Brazil..

He also served as a referee at the 2012and 2013 African Cup of Nations[  tournaments, as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In March 2013  FIFA named Bakary Gassama as one of the fifty potential referees at the World Cup 2014. On 15 January 2014  FIFA announced that he would be one of the 25 referees on the tournament.

He officiated the third group stage match in group B between the Netherlands and Chile on 23 June 2014. He officiated the African cup of nations final February 8th, 2015 Ghana vs Ivory Coast.

Gambian Papa Gassama was named 2015 African Referee of the Year, his second in a row, equalling the record held by Algerian Haimoudi Djamel who won in 2012 and 2013.

Story Source: Namory Trawally

Gambia’s International midfielder Ebrima Sohna has spoken to Observer Sports on Coach Sang Ndong’s decision not to invite him to the team since he took charge of the Scorpions.

Highly fancied by fans for his heroic performance in all the games he played for the Gambia, the former U-17 and U-20 midfielder has not been invited by coach Sang Ndong in the past two qualifier games against Mauritania.

Asked whether he was disappointed for not being invited, the former U-17 and U-20 midfielder replied in the positive. “Ofcourse I am disappointed as a player who can still give more to the team and not being part of the team, but still I have the heart to keep supporting the team,” he told Observer Sports at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, where he watched the Gambia play a goalless friendly against Zambia on Monday.

As to what has been the reason (s) for him not being invited despite being one of the most fancied players for the country, the hard-tackling midfielder said he does not know the reason (s); whether he (Sang Ndong) has a problem with him or not because no one has explained anything to him. “I have been here [in the country] for two weeks and watched the team’s training, but the coach does not speak to me and I think he needs to talk with me. I would love to know from him why I have not been invited.”

The former Wallidan midfielder said he is always available to play for his country, while advising coach Sang Ndong to put the interest of the nation at the forefront and not the interest of an individual or a group of people.

On the upcoming game against South Africa, Sohna believes the team can get a good result, adding it will also give more experience to the local-based players.

by Alieu Ceesay

US$5000 (equivalent to over D200, 000) is the total budget for this year’s FIFA Live Your Goal Girls Festival  slated for this weekend to be held at Farafenni, in the North Bank Region (NBR), the Gambia Football Federation announced on Tuesday at a press conference.

This is the third edition of the FIFA Live Your Goal Girls Festival and it is aimed at raising awareness on women’s sports as well as introducing young people into women football.

GFF grassroots football coordinator, Alagie Nyassi disclosed that preparations are at an advanced stage. The event, he said is one way of further decentralizing and popularizing women’s football in the country.

One of The Gambia Football Federation’s (GFF) strategic plans, Nyassi told reporters, is to get all the regions involved in football in the country. This, he added, is the reason why the GFF decided to host the event in Farafenni.

Sainey Sissoho, the GFF’s Female Football Coordinator said such event is very important in the promotion and development of women football in the country, while looking forward to a successful event.

According to her, all was set at the time of the press conference for the festival. “In this year’s edition we continue partnering with Women Football Association, Regional FAs, Gambia Red Cross Society, Gambia Police Force, Gambia Fire and Rescue Services and the Regional Sports Committee towards this festival.”

Sainabou Cham, GFF executive member said the program is geared towards promoting and encouraging girls’ participants in football.

by Arfang MS Camara

& Jainaba D Jatta

Omar Sise’s darling U-20 junior Scorpions have resumed preparation for the return leg away to Morocco with a test match against first division side Real De Banjul on Tuesday night at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

The hard-fought first test game ended in a 1-1 draw and the lads are expected to have one or two more test matches before travelling out to Morocco.

The team will play the Atlas Lions of Morocco on the 12th June in Rabat after a narrow 1-0 win in Banjul last month. A win or draw will see the U-20 of The Gambia advance to the 3rd and final round of the qualifiers for the African Youth Championship in Zambia early next year.

In an Observer Sports interview shortly after the game, Omar Sise, the coach of the U-20 side promised to work on the team’s faults, notably the finishing department, which he admitted is a big problem in Gambian football.

“Definitely it was a good test for the team because we were pushed to the edge and we conceded a goal at a bad time. However, it is good that we created chances and equalized,” he said when asked whether it was a good test for the team.

With outstanding performance displayed by the lads in the first leg before the home fans, Sise is quite upbeat that the team can advance to the final round. “We are preparing to go there [Rabat] either to beat them or draw with them. We are having our next test game against Steve Biko on Saturday immediately after the Gambia-South Africa match.”

On whether he was monitoring his opponent’s preparation ahead of the game, a confident-looking Sise replied in the negative. “I am not interested. I am only interested in working on my team and may God help us,” he told Observer Sports.

by Alieu Ceesay

For a struggling country yet to taste the pride of playing at any African Cup of Nation at senior level, Gambia’s current placing in a 2017 AFCON qualifying group comprising South Africa, Cameroon and Mauritania, with two games to go, is nothing short of a massive underachievement.

The Scorpions’ qualifying campaign under the former sacked coach Raoul Savoy and current rebuilding-and-rebranding-coach Sang Ndong has been so poor that even if they win their last two games, it still might not be enough for the Scorpions to make it to Gabon next year.

The Scorpions goalless draw against Zambia in an international friendly failed to meet the fans’ expectations just few days before the encounter with another struggling South Africa. Although the qualification chances are very low, the fans will be happy to see the Scorpions winning at home, but the fact of the matter is that fans are not expecting that much because the results from the national team have not been impressive in recent years.

With that in mind, many believe the home game against the Bafana Bafana on Saturday is meaningless, but a win will be a big achievement for coach Sang Ndong and players in restoring fans’ hopes and confidence in the coach and the team. It will also be another opportunity for the would-be featured local-based players to prove their capability with the possibility to attract the attention of foreign clubs.

Some of the most established players, notably captain and defender Abdou Jammeh, hard-tackling midfielder Ebrima Sohna, the Nyassi brothers (Sainey and Sanna) and Kenny Mansally among others are all yet to be invited to the team by Coach Sang Ndong since he took over.

There is also uncertainty whether Gambia and Swansea forward Modou Barrow will make it in the team against South Africa after he could not make it in the Scorpions’ list for the friendly against Zambia.

Barrow, who is in the country, was supposed to joined the camp last Sunday, according to coach Sang Ndong, but never was he part of the team’s 18-man squad. The player, Sang Ndong told Observer Sports last Sunday afternoon was not 100% fit.

In the absence of Mustapha Carayol who has so far scored the Scorpions’ only goal in the qualifiers away to Mauritania, Sang Ndong will be hoping to see his available foreign-based invitees and local-based players give him the results.

As a country with abundant financial resources at their disposal,

coach Mashaba is quite aware of what is at stake if they have to lose the game in Banjul. Therefore, the Scorpions need to be on top of their game throughout the 90 minutes.

“Let’s be honest, at the moment it will be tough for us to qualify for the AFCON this time. But these games will help us prepare for the World Cup [qualifiers],” coach Mashaba told the local press in South Africa two weeks ago after he announced his 23-man squad to face The Gambia.

Similarly, the Scorpions’ gaffer Sang Ndong also believes his side cannot make it [AFCON] and fans should not expect immediate results, but believes the team can do it in the next two years by the time he is done with the so-called “Rebuilding and rebranding process”.

Whether the current Scorpions’ squad will prevail over the Bafana Bafana or not only Saturday can tell.

by Alieu Ceesay

The GFF wishes to announce that Interior and Abuko United will face each other in the Women’s FF Cup Final slated for today, Friday 3rd June, 2016 at the Sere Kunda East Mini Stadium at 16:30pm.

The final will also mark the decoration of Interior as Champions of League Division One with a presentation of medals while Future Bi FC that has also earned promotion to the Second Division will also be decorated.

“Match tickets would be sold at the stadium gates at D25:00 for the seats and D10:00 for other areas,” the GFF announced in a press release sent to Observer Sports Desk.

by Jainaba D Jatta

Two teams in the same town,but slightly different in history- Brikama United formed in 2003 and Bombada in 2012 will answer a lot of questions between themselves as they will be tussling for the country’s second most prestigious trophy on Sunday June 5 at the Independence Stadium in BAKAU.

History is set to be made on Sunday as no Brikama team has ever won the FF Cup.

The two Sateba-based sides will once again renew their rivalry on the pitch as their meetings had been a crowd-pullers in the past.

United by Brikama, but divided by football, a lot is expected from both sides and fans.

Mustapha Drammeh and Adama Jammeh scored 6 each for Bombada and their individual performances can make an impact. Bombada’s technical bench is also rich in experience with Ensa Sambou who won the 2011 league with Brikama United serving as assistant coach.

For Brikama United who finished 2nd place in the 2016 domestic first division league, in-form Saikouba Ceesay is a player to watch on Sunday. The lad has been very outstanding for Brikama United in the league.

The two teams played four official competition games with Brikama United having an edge over Bombada wining two and drew two. They scored 5 goals against Bombada and conceded only one goal.

In an interview with Observer Sports ahead of the final, Bombada coach Lamin Antony Ceesay said, “It will be a different game”.

Brikama United coach Sulayman Kuyateh said his side is well prepared for the final because as he put “It is going to be a difficult final.”

by Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

In an unusual gesture, the Scorpions of The Gambia on Thursday visited the orphans at the SOS Children’s Village in Bakoteh to present gifts to the children.

The struggling Scorpions who are preparing for their AFCON qualifier game against fellow struggling South Africa donated footballs, bags of rice, a bag of sugar bag of onion and cooking oil among others.

It was said to be the first Gambian national football team to visit and donate to the Orphanage village.

Scorpions’ assistant coach Matarr Mboge said the team and technical staff were proud to donate to the orphans and hope such will continue.

Gambia and Djurgarden IF defender Omar Colley is the Captain of the squad. He explained that the players thought it wise to contribute and buy the stuff for the children.

The national director of the SOS Children’s Village-The Gambia, Oumou Tall thanked the senior scorpions for the gesture, which she said would go a long way in supporting the feeding of the children.

by Arfang MS Camara

It was an unbearable result and unforgettable night of football for Scorpions’ fans and spectators who turned up on Saturday, as the team suffered a 4-0 defeat at home against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

The fans could not hide their dissatisfaction as they furiously booed the home team and technical bench for a poor performance.

Observer Sports sounded the opinion of fans and spectators on the outcome of the game.

Ex-Gambian goalkeeper George Lobba opined that the Scorpions allowed the South Africans to settle with the ball and get closer to the Scorpions goal-mouth.

The rebuilding approach being taken by Coach Sang Ndong, he said, is very important for both the local-based and foreign-based players. “Sang is doing a good work by giving chance to all the home-based players.”

He called on the fans to exercise patience as “the technicians are doing their work well.”

Mama Nyabally, Scorpions’ fan was totally disappointed with the final result as well as the performance of the team. “We don’t blame the players, but the coaches because they changed the players that featured in our first game in South Africa.”

Pap Colley, another fan, applauded the performance of the boys, but advised coach Sang Ndong to present an experienced squad that can match a team like South Africa inorder to prevent the country from such humiliation.

Lamin Fatty, a native of Busumbala insisted that Coach Sang Ndong needed to have players like Abdou Jammeh and Ebrima Sohna in the squad to face South Africa.

“We were playing blindly and I don’t think Sang Ndong is the right coach for The Gambia,” added Ousman Drammeh of Lamin village.

Pape Saine, a veteran sports journalist said he was very disappointed with the performance and result of the game. “The Gambia don’t deserve to be humiliated by the South African team with such a result on home soil,” said the proprietor of The Point Newspaper.

The results, he went on, demoralised the Gambian fans because for long time the Gambia has not had such kind of defeat especially at home. “The technical team of the Scorpion should work harder to make a difference.”

Saine observed that the defenders were dormant as they allowed the South African team to manipulate them during the game.

He calls for renewed commitment, dedication and determination from the Gambian players and technical staff. “Since the official opening of the Stadium in 1984, The Gambia had never been beaten 4-0 at home,” Pape Saine told Observer Sports.

Ebou Faye, the 2nd Vice President and Spokesperson for the GFF described the defeat as “a big set-back” in their rebuilding process. “It was a poor game; losing by 4-0 is not good for us. It is a disappointing result.”

On the reaction of the fans towards the end of the game, Faye said the fans left their homes to come and support the boys, but that the boys’ defeat against the hungry Bafana Bafana prompted them to behave that way. “The future of our football is bright, but this defeat is a setback to our rebuilding process. We will move forward and try to bring many players as possible.”

by Arfang MS Camara &

Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The Young Scorpions concluded their preparations for the return leg of the African Youth Championship qualifiers with a comprehensive 4-0 defeat of Steve Biko in a friendly on Saturday.

Omar Sise’s charges took to the field for the late night game after the Scorpions were battered by Bafana Bafana but despite that disappointment, many fans stayed behind to watch the game with the estimated 10,000 capacity Covered Pavilion filled to its rafters.

It didn’t take the Young Scorpions long to open the scorings when Bun Sanneh stabbed home into an empty net following some horrendous defending by Biko. Moments later, Pa Omar Jobe, scorer of the only goal in the 1-0 first leg win over Morocco, hit a delightful volley into the roof of the net for a 2-0 lead.

Just before the break, it was the turn of Captain Ablie Jalllow to score for a 3-0 halftime lead. The diminutive forward dinked his way past several challenges before he toe-poked home a delightful onetime finish, making scoring look so simple. Defender Hamidou Bojang added a fourth after the break to complete the comprehensive win.

The Young Scorpions were set to leave Banjul for Rabat early this morning where they would play the hosts on June 12 for a place in the third and final round of qualifiers. Leading 1-0 from the first, The Gambia only needs to avoid defeat to be assured of a place in the next stage of the qualifiers. Kickoff is at 8:45pm Gambian time.

Speaking in a post-match interview, Omar Sise the U-20 Coach pleaded for the prayers of everyone, while reaffirming his commitment to bringing smiles to the faces of the Gambian people. He said the strategy going into the return leg is to secure a place in the next round.

Sise, whose team could’ve finished the job in Banjul if not for their profligacy in front of goal, said the reason for scoring four goals on Saturday was because they had spent the next few days training on improving their goal scoring.

Team spokesperson Pa Omar Babou said the team is in the right state of mind to complete the job in Rabat. He also hailed the camaraderie in the dressing room.

by Baboucarr Camara

A disappointed and dumbfounded Scorpions’ Coach Sang Ndong has admitted that his side was outclassed by South Africa. Sang, who was lost for words in explaining the demoralising 4-0 defeat to Bafana Bafaba in the AFCON qualifiers on Saturday was speaking in a post-match press conference at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

“We are all disappointed and I think the result and performance were all poor; so we just have to get the positive out of the negativity,” he began, before adding that they were dominated and outplayed by the visitors.

“We played against a superior team but we could have done better.

However, our objective is to rebuild, rebrand and try to reintegrate the national team back to the public.”

He added that the game had helped him to see more local based players and some foreign-based players mixed together. Some of the players, he added, could not join the team “because they were injured”; and these were the likes of Modou Barrow, Pa Amat Dibba and Demba Savage. “For Yusupha Njie, he had a commitment with his team FUS de Rabat in Morocco.”

He pleaded with Gambians to accept the defeat and concentrate on the objectives of building a team for the country.

Captain Omar Colley was equally not happy with the outcome of the game.

Coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba of the Bafana Bafana said it was an important game for his side and the win was something very timely.

He commended the fans for turning up in numbers to watch the game. “It was a good  game; we started on a very low key because at some stages the Gambian team was invading our goal area often. But after some minutes we started getting our footing right and it became worse [for the Scorpions] when we scored our first goal,” he told the local press.

The Bafana Bafana’s performance on Saturday, according to Mashaba, was a response to the drab goalless draw in the first leg in South Africa.

“My boys played very well and that is why we were very confident that it was going to be a good game.”

Man of the match, Keagan Dolly, who is a member of the South African U-23 team and was playing only his second game for the senior team, said he was happy to have scored two fantastic goals.

The lad, who helped South Africa qualify for next month’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro last year said he is always happy to be representing his country.

by Alieu Ceesay

The Scorpions of The Gambia suffered their worst defeat at home since the opening of the Independence Stadium in 1984, according to the legendary Pap Saine, following the Gambian side’s 4-0 loss to Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Saturday.

The performance was insipid and shambolic; Sang Ndong’s team played without any identity at the Independence Stadium despite a bright opening ten minutes.

This was the penultimate round of the 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifiers and the crushing defeat ensured the Scorpions, on two points, would now finish bottom of the four-team group. The group consists of Cameroon, who are already through with ten points; Mauritania on seven points and Bafana with six points.

The Gambia could’ve opened the scorings in the first minute when Bubacarr Trawally, the Scorpions’ best player by far, headed over from just six yards away after some brilliant play on the left side of the field by Lamin Jallow. The Scorpions missed another great chance on the quarter hour mark after some nervy Bafana defending but the visitors turned defence into attack. While Keagan Dolly missed a glourious opportunity in the 16th minute, Thamsanqa Gabuza was denied by Alagie Nyabally in the Gambian goal two minutes later.

From that point, it was a one-way traffic. After Bakary Njie, Bully Drammeh and Trawally all missed decent chances, Gabuza of the Bafana Bafana responded with a delightful onetime finish after he was fed by the impressive Dolly on the half hour mark. Gabuza scored his second in the 39th minute after another good play by Dolly.

When the teams reemerged from the dressing room for the second period, Musa Yaffa was brought on in place of the poor Kaba Sambou who was caught napping for the second goal, but the substitution failed to inspire the Scorpions.

Steve Trawally almost pulled a goal back after a solo run from deep into his own half but following some brilliant play, his goal-bound effort was saved by the spreading legs of goalkeeper and Captain Etumeleng Khune five minutes into the restart.

That miss proved costly as the South Africans put the game to bed five minutes later when a fierce shot from the impressive Dolly flew past Nyabally in goal for a 3-0 lead.

Bakary Njie went off to a standing ovation for his tireless efforts in the 65th minute but Bafana would have the final say of this game when Dolly, set to spearhead South Africa’s assault on the 2016 Olympics in Rio, scored from another thunderous strike that came off the box to put the final nail in the Scorpions’ coffin with 10 minutes remaining.

by Baboucarr Camara

Women’s domestic league first division side, Interior FC, is in celebration mood after winning the 2016 Women’s First Division Football League and Women’s FF Cup.

The police girls finished top of the league before defeating Abuko United 2-1 in the FF Cup final played last Friday at the East mini-stadium.

Goals from Isatou Jallow and Binta Colley gave Interior the lead.  Sally Ceesay scored the consolation for the Abuko girls.

As winners, Interior received a trophy and cash prize of D50, 000, while Abuko received a consolation prize of D40,000.

Speaking to Observer Sports, Ousman Sonko, the minister of Interior shared his joy for the victory. According to him, female football around the world is gaining prominence and calls for collective effort in promoting it in the country.  “Winning these trophies is by no means a surprise because we have come a long way and we have been preparing towards this day,” he told Observer Sports.

By Binta Bah

Observer FC is into the semi finals stages of the 2016 National Inter-department Sports Association (NISA)- organised football tournament.

Coach Pamodou Faal and charges defeated Immigration 6-5 in a post-match penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Observer FC made it to the quarter finals as “best losers”; the team is yet to know their actual opponent in the semis, but is joined in the semi-finals by NAWEC, Gamtel and GCAA.

Observer Coach Pamodou Faal thanked the boys for their commitment, dedication and focus towards the game. He thanked the management for the support to the team, adding that Observer FC is now getting ready for the semis.

By Fatou Trawally

The Female Football Coordinator at the Gambia Football Federation, Sainey Sissoho is quite happy with the progress of women’s football in The Gambia.

Women’s football, according to her, provides opportunities for girls and women to develop healthy lifestyles to participate in sports as administrators, players and national team players.

She made these remarks last Sunday, during the third edition of the FIFA Live Your Goal Girls Festival held at Farafenni, in the North Bank Region (NBR).

The festival which gathered over 200 girls (aged between 6-12), aimed to create awareness and develop female football in the Gambia.

According to the former Abuko United and National Female U-17 team striker the Live Your Goals campaign strives to develop women’s football nationally, and the girl’s festival is identical with hope, fun and also a sense of belonging. She thanked the local authorities for their efforts towards the staging of Live Your Goal Girls Festival in Farafenni. The idea to host the event in the provinces, she said, is to create awareness and unearth more young stars.

She finally affirmed GFF’s supports towards the development of women’s football in the country.

Sainabou Cham, executive member of the Gambia Football Federation also expressed similar remarks.

Lamin Kaba Bajo, president of GFF thanked the local authorities in North Bank Region for helping in making the event a success. He reaffirmed GFF’s commitment to the development of women football.

By Jainaba D. Jatta

Brikama United extended their dominance over brothers Bombada with a 1-0 win in the FF cup final played on Sunday at the Independence Stadium.

Substitute Sainey Bojang was the hero after he scored for Brikama United through Sulayman Saho’s brilliant assist.

It was an all Brikama affair as the fans traveled from Brikama to Bakau to watch the close rivals of the town tussle for glory.

Goal scorer Sainey Bojang described the final as “the most blissful day of my life” coming from the bench after 3 weeks of injury to score the only goal. “Giving the trophy to Brikama United is dream come true for me”.

In a post match interview with Observer Sports, happy-looking Brikama United coach Sulayman Kuyateh commended his players for winning the trophy.

He congratulated the fans for supporting the team.

Lamin Anthony Ceesay, Bombada coach was quite not happy with the results, insisting that his opponents were not the better side.

by Muhammed Lamin Drammeh