Gambia U-20 Coach Omar Sise said his team is committed to the course as the Young Scorpions seek a place in the third and final round of the African Youth Championship qualifiers away to Morocco on Sunday.
The Gambians, twice finalists in this competition, won the first leg 1-0 in Banjul and in preparation for the game, the team was shipped to Morocco for a week’s camp and after four days in the North African country, Sise said they are determined to complete the job.
“We have done a pretty good job since we came here and we pray to God to keep us healthy and mentally strong for the game on Sunday,” Sise told Observer Sports, who accompanied the team in Rabat.
“I won’t talk about tactics in details but we are committed to this job and at this stage we are telling Gambians that Inshallah we will do all our best with the help of God to make it happen for the country. Any difficulty ahead of us we put it in the hands of God but I don’t think we will go through anything more difficult than we encountered in St. Luois, Senegal. We will pray to God to guide and protect us from all evil because even after all the hard work done you still need God’s help and guidance to achieve anything. We just pray to cross the line.”
The team is on an unbeaten run stretching back to the WAFU Football Cup in Senegal last year and after three games in the qualifiers already it has won all, scoring five goals in the process and yet to concede any. When asked what is so special about the team, Sise said it is because God is with them – “who has given them the goals and brought stability in their defence”.
“We pray to God to give us the chance to score more goals and not to concede. We also work very hard for it both physically and mentally when we prepare the players. The secret is the great assistance of God and we pray that He continue to be with us,” he added.
He rued over the fact that last game should’ve been three goals. However, he pointed out that a single goal is equally important so long as it gives you three points and qualification. “I won’t be happy if we get similar chances and fail to score but as a coach my philosophy and that of the fans is different. Gambians have a sickness in not scoring goals and I can’t change that in less than a year. It doesn’t come overnight but this team scored in almost every game it played.”
The former Feni Soccer and Sheikh Jamal Dhamondi coach also urged Gambians to be patient and pray for the team in “this respectable month of Ramadan to take us through to both the African Cup in Zambia and the World Cup in Korea.”
He also thanked The Gambia Football Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for making sure that the team travelled to Morocco on time. He as well extolled the support of the Gambian public.
Pa Omar Babou, the team spokesperson, who plays as a left winger echoed similar sentiments. He assured that the team is well prepared to take on any opponent.
by Baboucarr Camara
in Rabat, Morocco