Banned from football, but still active in the game; former Gambia Football Association, now Gambia Football Federation third vice president, Adama Halla Samba, has spoken to Observer Sports, reaffirming his commitment to continue contributing his quota to the development of football in the country.
Samba served as the third vice president of the dissolved Seedy Kinteh-led GF executive that was slammed a five-year ban from any future football management and governance by the disciplinary committee set up by the Gambia Football Federation Normalisation Committee in 2013.
In an exclusive interview with Observer Sports, Halla Samba who has established a name for himself in Gambian football talked about his footballing and coaching career as well as his ban from football among a hosts of other things.
Born in Banjul to the late Alhaji Kelepha IBA Samba and Aja Fatou Jobe, Halla Samba started playing football when he was at primary school through to high school at Armitage High School. “When I left School, I played for Adonis Football Club and won many trophies with them, during that time I also played for the National Team.”
Football, the former national team player told Observer Sports, was not his preferred career, but he happened to have a passion for the game and just loved playing it.
“I was selected to the National Team when I left school. My first assignment was to represent The Gambia in Ivory Coast and played many matches at that level. It was a good feeling because anyone would like to represent your country at such a young age, which I am still proud of.”
Halla as he is widely known had never played professionally, because as he puts it “during our time it was very rare to play professional football. Only Biri Biri was playing professional football. It was not as easy as it is now.”
As to what were his memorable moments, he reflected his winning goal against Real de Banjul, which ended 2-1; and also winning the Confederal Trophy in Dakar, when he was the head coach of Wallidan FC.
Halla Samba registered his first hat-trick during his High School (Armitage) football match against Gambia High School at the then Box Bar Stadium in Banjul.
On his coaching career, the former Wallidan gaffer said, “I have achieved many things as Coach of Wallidan, which includes 9 league titles, 8 FA Cups, 3 GNIC trophies, 7 Super Cups and 2 Confederal trophies- one in Dakar against Jean d’arc and against US Goree in Banjul. I then retired from coaching to become vice president and eventually president of Wallidan FC.”
In a controversial move by the then normalization committee, the former GFA 3rd vice president was banned together with other executive members of the Seedy Kinteh-led executive for five years. “The banning of the Seedy Kinteh-led executive was unjust, unfair and was malicious. I say so because the reasons advanced for the banning was thoroughly investigated by the police and we were vindicated.
Instead the then PS [Mambajick Njie] at the Ministry of Youth and Sports was charged with giving false information. We were not there to enrich ourselves but for the development of the game. As a result, we were the only executive that made the Gambia proud at the U-17 level. This achievement opened doors for most of our players to start playing professional football and were made millionaires by His Excellency Sheikh Professor Dr. Alhaji Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Babili Mansa. This has never been achieved since football (GFA) was founded in 1952. I think our executive should be given credit and not victimized,” he told Observer Sports.
Talking about the way forward for Gambian football, he said a lot of things have to be done and these include improving playing conditions by upgrading existing facilities countrywide and building other structures which can be transformed into permanent structures at community level for development of the game. “It is fundamental principal that for any skills to be learned there must be adequate training for players, coaches and officials. Finance is also one of the most important components of developing any sports especially football and as a result you need to mobilize lot of funds, but should only be used for the development of the game.”
Halla Samba has now set-up a young team coming up called Lions of Banjul in the 2nd Division league, with the target to get promotion to the 1st Division next season. “I want to nurture my young team [Lions of Banjul] to produce talented players who can be of benefit to their families and nation.”
As to whether he is still available to serve in football administration, “of course every good citizen would like to contribute his/her quota to the development of your country in the area you specialize and am no exception. That is why am grooming the team I said earlier on,” he stressed.
by Alieu Ceesay