The president of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF), Lamin Kaba Bajo,vover the weekend told a large gathering at the 9th edition of the Stake in the Nation Forum (SNF9), at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre that the late Gambian football icon Alhaji Momodou Njie, commonly known as Biri-Biri, was more than a footballer, describing him as a pioneer, a patriot and a peerless ambassador of The Gambia.
Bajo also hailed Biri’s journey from the dusty grounds of Banjul to the grand arenas of Europe, most notably at Sevilla FC, where a stand at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium is named after him, ‘Biris Norte’.
And to honor and keep his eternal legacy, the GFF, he added, has already named a proposed mini-stadium at the National Technical Training Centre (NTTC) after him, the construction of which will start this year. Mr Bajo was speaking on specific theme ‘the Biri-Biri Initiative on Sports and Tourism’ launched by the Vice President of The Gambia, Muhammed BS Jallow as part of the event.
The GFF president continued:“Biri Biri being one of Africa’s earliest icons in European football was followed by some renowned players like, Modou Barrow who represented The Gambia in the English Premier League with Swansea City, while Dawda Bah competed in the Bundesliga with FC Augsburg. And as of 2025, over 250 Gambian players are playing professional football worldwide. While the majority is based in Europe, others are competing in elite leagues across Asia, Africa and the Americas”.
Beyond today’s professionals, Bajo went on, there is a strong pipeline of emerging Gambian players across Europe. “Gambian footballers are currently represented in B teams, U-20, U-19, and U-18 squads at some of the world’s most elite and historically significant clubs. These figures confirm that Gambian players are not fringe participants, but key contributors at the elite professional level,” he added.
Market value and global recognition
Speaking further, Mr Bajo noted that in December 2025, the CIES Football Observatory identified Gambian Yankuba Minteh as the most valuable African player currently playing in Europe. His reported market valuation, which reached €80 million, he added, reflects the growing global demand and respect for Gambian talent. He further noted that Gambian professionals accumulated significant playing time across their various leagues in 2025, with the top 100 of them recording over 200,000 combined minutes at the club level, averaging more than 2,000 minutes per player. This, according to Mr Bajo, who is also the president of Wafu Zone A, is a demonstration of their regular selection, trust from coaches and meaningful on-field contribution.
“Our Professional players, both retired and active are playing a key role in football development in the country. Omar Colley, Bubacarr ‘Steve’ Trawally, Ali Sowe, Ebrima Sohna, Momodou Ceesay (Zico), amongst others have not only worn the national colors with pride, but they are investing into league clubs, football academies and football infrastructure. They are following the trail blazed by Biri-Biri,” Mr. Bajo noted.
“In the same vein, significant investments are being made into the game in the country through partnerships between local and international private investors. This development brought about the coming up of modern football facilities in Basori, Kabakel, Faraba Banta, Kerr Jatta, Brusubi, Manduar, amongst others, and also investment into existing and new clubs has witnessed an unprecedented increase,” he added.
Bajo expressed the GFF’s excitement to associate itself with this initiative, as it aims to formalise and expand this trend, creating a year-round sports tourism industry that invites more investors and the diaspora to contribute to the greater productivity of our nation.
In that regard, Mr Bajo added, the Football Hotel, located in Old Yundum, which is an investment initiative of the GFF, could play a vital role in this venture, by providing both accommodation and football pitches for the would-be sports tourists visiting the country, especially with the coming of the Biri-Biri Mini Stadium to be built within the same complex.
He concluded his statement by calling on his compatriots in the diaspora, international investors and football clubs to explore the existing opportunities, either for training camps, international friendlies, sports-themed heritage tours, or to invest in both football clubs and infrastructure, amongst others.
GFF media
