Retired international referee Alagi Faye has called on the Gambia Football Federation GFF to reinstate Papa Gassama and Maudo Jallow into the referees committee of the federation.
The duo was removed from the committee a few days ago and though the GFF did not explain the sudden removal of Gassama, many times African best referee and his colleague Maudo Jallow, rumours has it that Gassama is favored by most referees to be the next president of The Gambia Referees Association an affiliate independent body of the GFF. The Association goes to elective congress on May 24 with most stakeholders rooting for Gassama against a candidate allegedly supported by the GFF executive.
Speaking to The Standard on the matter Alagie Faye, one of the most respected Gambian international referees, said removing Gassama and Maudo in these circumstances does not tell well about the independence of the referees committee.
“Referees are arbiters and as such they must not be under anyone’s control. Besides Gassama in particular is an asset to Gambian refereeing and the country cannot afford to lose his service,” Faye said. He also advised the GFF to avoid anything that would look like interference in the affairs of the referees’ committee or association.
Meanwhile the GFF Secretary General Lamin Jassey confirmed that the duo, who were coopted by the GFF president as members of the referees committee have had their cooption withdrawn by the president ‘for the good of the game.’
