There has been a minor reshuffle in the backroom of the staff in charge of the national team.
The assistant coach of the team Matar Mboge has been taken off that duty to concentrate on his U-20 team who are due to defend their Wafu title in Guinea next month.( And that’s not child’s play, lol)
Mboge is now replaced by Alagie Sarr.
Sarr holds a CAF “C” and “B” Coaching License.
He comes to the job with huge experience and managing the goal and defence area management having served as both as goalkeeper and defender.
He began his playing career in 1978 as goalkeeper before switching to become a defender from 1980 to 1985. He turned pro in 1985 playing for SV Victoria FC in the then West Germany, from 1985-1990. He was a Gambia national team defender until 1992.
Sarr began his coaching career with Mass Sosseh Football Club, a very popular league team well known for their unrivaled mesmerizing tactics in winning knock out matches. His first national assignment has been assistant coach at senior level from 1996-1997. He returned to the Scorpions Team A again from 1999- 2000 as assistant coach.
He is regarded as the Gambia’s most successful coach at domestic level winning more titles than any other coach. Sarr won silver wares with MASS SOSSEH FC (2 titles -FA and Super Cup), WALLIDAN FC (6 titles– 2 FA, 3 League 1 Super Cup), GPA (5 titles-1 FA, 2 League, 2 Super Cup), REAL DE BANJUL (2 titles– 1 League, 1 Super Cup) and competed at CAF Club championships with different local clubs.
Mr Sarr’s appointment will be on engagement basis for the Scorpions where he is tasked to assist head coach Tom Saintfiet during the Afcon qualifiers. Until his appointment, Sarr was coach of B/K Milan Football Club in the GFF League Division One.
Meanwhile the GFF has also announced an inclusion of a new team doctor and a Physiotherapist.
Tom Mertens, 38, a Belgian national, is the new Scorpions physiotherapist. Mertens is a Master in Science who specialised in manual therapy and sports physio. He worked for seven (7) years at the Belgian FA and has worked for more than ten years at the Belgian Olympic Committee as Physio of the National Hockey team,current world cup champions. He attended two Olympic Games; London 2012 and Rio 2016.
The Federation also announced that the Scorpions will now have a new doctor in the person of Dr. Landing Jarju who works at the Internal Medicine Department of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH). Dr. Jarju 30, is a young Gambian Medical Officer with a very good track record. He recently participated at the just concluded WAFU Cup of Nations 2019 in Thies as coach of the Gambia Under 23 team.
