According to the GFF man, Football House has since requested and was lucky to have received positive indications that President Jammeh will receive the referee who made the nation proud by winning the Caf best referee award.
Speaking on the popular Afri- Radio sports show Saturday, Bakary Jammeh further said the GFF will stage an official welcome for the referee from the airport to Football House from where he will then be driven to meet the president at State House.
“As you know the president is the chief patron of the GFF and as such he is very concerned with the development of football in general, hence his personal immense contributions to it,” he said.
Once the audience with the president is over, according to Bakary, the GFF will then announce a day and time for a fitting ceremony to recognise and celebrate Gassama’s achievements.
The Gambian referee broke three national records within the last six months. He is the first Gambian to officiate in the world cup, the first Gambian to be voted best African referee and the first Gambian to officiate the final of the African nations cup, a very rare international achievement by all standards. Papa was also nominated by Global Soccer as one of the world’s best referee.
Last summer, President Jammeh met Gassama shortly before he left for Brazil and told him to safeguard the image and integrity of the nation by remaining honest, credible and hard working. ”By all indications Papa seems to have heeded those advices,” a retired referee commented yesterday.
]]>
