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