The former spokesman of the Brikama Sports Committee and Bikama United FC Alieu Faal has disclosed that though there was no formal written agreement or promise by the GFF to financially support their club to compete in Africa, they have had a strong feeling the speech of the GFF president Lamin Kaba Bajo, that that would be the case.
Speaking to The Standard who wanted to know about the club’s view on the alleged refusal of the GFF to help them to compete in Caf as claimed by opposition stakeholders, Faal said: ”It was during our fund raising campaign Road to CAF Champions League at the Box bar. President Bajo graced the occasion and personally donated handsomely and hinted that the GFF was working on some avenue to help Gambian clubs who qualify for African competitions. He did not say when or how much but did not also categorically say at the time that Brikama will not be helped,” Faal said. He revealed that though the club did not place all its hopes on the GFF ‘hinted help’, it would have been very helpful if Football House had helped. ”I could understand also that Bajo, being a Brikama native could have been constrained too as he would naturally avoid looking like extending favouritism to his town team. But generally Brikama United FC was very demotivated and confused by what seem to be a promise not fulfilled,” Faal said.
He added: ”I do not want to be dragged into corroborating or debunking any side in the row between the GFF and its opposition stakeholders on one hand and Real de Banjul on the other, but while I did not see anything wrong with extending a helping hand to Real, I cannot see why it could not have been extended to Brikama United too,” he concluded.
