By Modou Lamin Beyai
The Gambia lost 3-1 to first division side Fortune FC in a local friendly played ahead of the 2017 WAFU tournament that gets underway in Ghana in less than two weeks.
The test match, played at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on Tuesday evening, saw the promoted team edge coach Omar Sise’s side courtesy of a Gibril Sillah strike and a brace from Patrick Sylva.
The Gambia, who will face off with the Ghana Black Stars B team in the first round of the 2017 WAFU tournament which will kick off on September 9, are yet to name their squad for the competition.
The local Scorpions’ tie with Ghana is one of eight first round eliminations in the tournament with the winners progressing to the group stages.
The matches have been split into the two zones operational in the WAFU area.
Zone A will also be completed by the winners of Mali’s match against Mauritania and Guinea’s showdown with Guinea-Bissau.
While in Zone B, Senegal meets Liberia, Burkina Faso have been pitted against Niger, Ivory Coast must oust Togo to advance and Benin have been drawn with Cape Verde.
The competition, exclusively open to home-based professionals, will be held in a unique format that sees 16 teams play single knockout games before the winners advance to two four-team groups.
