According to Gambia Football Federation President, Lamin Kaba Bajo, even before the official notice advertising the vacant head coach position of the national team is issued, a lot of people have sent CVs or expressed interest in the job. Mr Bajo however maintained that all will have to apply formally when the job is officially advertised.
Confronted with a question whether the country will not go for a local coach this time round, Mr Bajo said even though this is in line with his policy to support capacity building of local coaches, he doubts any Gambian has the qualifications recognised by Caf or Fifa.
Mr Bajo has since been criticised for shutting the door to many Gambian coaches some of them it appeared have even UEFA A license. One of the names with such a qualification is former Scorpions Edrissa Sonko. It has also been reported that one of the Njie brothers who played for the national team, Momar, is a big time coach in Germany.
In the country, fans have openly called for Under-20 coach Lie Bojang to be given the job. The suggestion of a local coach for the Scorpions has generated a heated debate on line. “I think the GFF should give Edrissa a chance,” wrote one Ousman Camara. Another fan quipped: ”Yes get Edi assisted by Lie Bojang and the Gambia’s football problem will be solved”. Other names suggested by fans in many platforms are Tapha Manneh, a former Under-20 coach who just returned from Liberia where he guided a league club to multiple championship titles. Many more are rooting for another Under-20 coach Matar Mboge now coaching in Italy after a successful spell in America.
The last time a Gambian was in the job was back in 2015 when the late Peter Bornu Johnson was in charge.
