The Gambia national women’s football team will continue its quest to follow their male compatriots to a maiden Africa Nations Cup appearance. The male team, the Scorpions, will play in the finals in Cameroon in January while ‘The Girls’ started their qualifiers on a strong footing beating Sierra Leone 2-0 away at the beginning of the week.
The return-leg of this first round qualifiers is on Monday at the Independence Stadium, without spectators of course, in observance of Covid- 19 protocols. With a solid 2 away goals in their kitty, the Gambian girls and Coach Mariama Bom Sowe are hopeful of eliminating Sierra Leone to reach the second and final round of the qualifiers to the tournament in Morocco next year. “We played better in the first leg and ‘The Girls’ surprised even themselves to achieve such a vital away win. There is no doubt they can finish the job at home on Monday,” women football official, Momodou Demba told The Standard. He said the result against Sierra Leone at senior level, coupled with The Gambia Under-20 girls’ elimination of Burkina Faso in the world women’s Under-20 world cup qualifiers, are strong signals that women’s football is growing in the country.
“We are fighting on two fronts in this war of girls. We want to reach the women’s Afcon in Morocco next year and the Under-20 World Cup in Costa Rica. Both are doable with hard work,” Mr Demba concluded.
