The Gambia’s qualifiers for the African Nations Cup 2022 finals in Cameroon will resume this evening, ending nine months absence of official competitive international football.
The Gambia will play twice against Gabon in the space of just a few days, today Thursday November 12, in Gabon and on Monday November 16, in Banjul. Already, the coach, Tom Saintfiet has arrived in the Gabonese capital with a squad he was forced to re-amend after some clubs capitalised on the new Fifa Covid-19 rules to keep their players with them instead of allowing them to go on national duties. Some other players were either sick or injured. This development has led to a growing concern that the team could be less than its otherwise full strength. However, we are delighted to hear coach Tom Saintfiet brimming with confidence that the remainder of his troops are good enough to fight to the end both in Gabon and in The Gambia. What made this assignment even more important is that with 4 points and on top of the group on goal difference, The Gambia could make or break her chance to a first ever Afcon finals. A victory in Gabon and Banjul will surely secure a place in the finals, regardless of the outcome of the remaining home and away matches against Angola and DR Congo, respectively. In any case, the country must avoid defeat at all cost in both legs.
At this point, we must spread commendation on the efforts of the GFF and the Gambia Government for making the travel plans of the team convenient and safe by providing a chartered flight to ferry the team to both legs.
This is not just a patriotic gesture but an important motivation for the boys who are on an important national assignment.
You see, it may be hard to say but with little or no interest or enthusiasm for the national league among the larger football fraternity, the only thing that galvanises interest in the local game is international matches. More so, if it involves the national team. Without the Scorpions in action, the Gambian fans’ focus remains on the European leagues, nation or club championships. Only the few die-hard football fans, coaches and officials make it their business to follow Gambian domestic football league.
This means that the only way to ensure that football attracts a larger attention is to develop and produce a national team or teams that will compete effectively in international championships to respectable levels. The country may have secured a few accolades mainly in the junior categories but unless we break into the party of the big boys, the CAN and the World Cup, there will be hardly anything to write home about. Gambians have had to endure so many false starts, near misses and outright hopelessness in our so-far fleeting illusion to reach at least the CAN. So with action resuming in this current CAN qualifiers, our football technicians and officials must do everything possible to keep the momentum gained by the Scorpions in the current qualifiers; where they are occupying first place. By the same token, the Gambia government must take its responsibility seriously and fund national sports teams and associations and stop considering sports as just play or fun. While we hold our breath and watch our boys go through another attempt to qualify, we prayerfully hope that our flag will fly in Cameroon in 2022, for the very first time. There is one important thing though, let us show understanding and heed the Caf directive not to show up at the stadium in respect of the current global pandemic guidelines. There will be many more stadium-filled matches, when as we prayerfully hope, the pandemic is defeated. Good luck to the Gallant Scorpions of The Gambia.
