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
