According to Normalisation Committee spokesman Musa Sise who claimed to be speaking as an individual and not in his capacity as an NC member, the next president should be someone who is on top of issues and acceptable nationally and internationally.
“We must get someone who must be thinking progressively and not backwards, and also not one who is nostalgic about the past,” he commented on a hot Afri Radio sports show yesterday.
Another commentator Lamin Cham, a well-known music promoter and former nawettan goalkeeper, observed that the past few years in Gambian football have been tumultuous with executives being swept across in rapid succession. “I think the latest one which brought Alhagie Sillah to power should teach us a lesson that Fifa and Caf are clubs that one must know and be well-integrated into before you can have influence. So why don’t we maintain Alhagie Sillah as president,” he asked? When reminded about Fifa’s directive disqualifying NC members from contesting, the DJ said the same Fifa can be approached with a popular appeal from Gambian people to endorse Alhagie Sillah. “I think this is the best we can get from this situation,” Cham said.
Famara Camara of Abuko texting the same talk show said The Gambia’s reputation has been soiled in the wake of the alleged age-cheating no matter who is responsible “and I think whoever is offering himself for elections must demonstrate he has the courage and determination to work in restoring the battered image of the nation.” He went on, “I do not want to blame anyone but we must agree that we have to face the world again and we must present credible leaders that can convince the world that we have given our back to this suspicion of age-cheating,” Camara said.
Alieu Corr from Basse was more blunt in his description of the state of Gambian football: “Our football is sick and needs a redeemer. Never before has so much blood been shed in our football than we have seen in these past few years. The Gambian people must stop fighting each other or showing arrogance. The concept of I am the one here and what I say stands and nothing else is a mistake that must be avoided by anyone coming to take over. The person must bring all stakeholders under one administration,” he said.
Salifu K Jaiteh, businessman and former GFF vice president, said football must put forward leaders who are likely to benefit the game through personal or financial influence and contribution rather than those who are likely to take away from the game. “It would be much easier for people of high integrity to attract other good people to the game especially if they can show example through their own contribution to the development of the game,” he said.
Willy Abraham, president of Real de Banjul in an earlier interview with The Standard said he would like to see the abolition of camps in football. “What we need is a dedicated group of workers working for the entire country irrespective of camps,” he had said.
Lamin Jassey, a former GFA administrative secretary now living in the UK sent his thoughts on the type of GFF president he wants: “I would like somebody who has been in football for more than ten years; have experience in sports administration for about five years, has good management skills and is able to unite the football family. I want somebody who understands international football (Fifa/Caf and how they operate)”. The debate goes on.
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