Gambia Football Federation sources in Gabon have revealed that a number of important players could not make the trip mainly due to their club’s refusal to release them in the wake of the Fifa Covid-19 rules. Some others are simply injured.
As a result, according to the GFF, Coach Tom Saintfiet has made changes in the Scorpions final squad announced Friday for the double header starting in Gabon Thursday and ending in Banjul next Wednesday.
“A few players could not make it due to the new FIFA rule, or injuries sustained in their weekend matches forcing the coach to make last minute changes to the squad due to travel from Brussels yesterday Monday,” the GFF reported yesterday.
The biggest worry is in the attack where goal merchant Assan Cessay is reported sick and so too is Lamin Jallow. Another player Muhammed Badamosi is injured while Gornik Zabrze’s Alassan Manneh, Nuha Marong of Granada, Sulayman Bojang of Sarpsborg 08, Ebrima Darboe of AS Roma, have all been prevented by their clubs to leave largely due to the new FIFA rule.
Another notable absentee is Modou Barrow who has complained of family reasons while Yusupha Bobb was not expected to make to the plane departing from Brussels in time due to documentation problems.
Alasana Jatta is also injured while Maudo Jarju had already announced his unavailability to the squad,” the GFF stated on its website.
In the wake of this development, Saintfiet has included the following players while maintaining the core of the players for the double header:
Modou Jobe
Sheikh      Sibi
Baboucar  Gaye
Pa Modou Jagne
Omar       Colley
Buba        Sanneh
Noah Sonko Sundberg
Mohammed Mbye
Robin Utseth Björnholm Jatta
Dawda       Ngum
Ebrima       Sohna
Sulayman   Marreh
Sainey        Njie
Ebrima       Colley
Musa          Barrow
Buba          Jobe
Ablie          Jallow
Steve        Trawally
Kalifa         Manneh
Abdoulie    Sanyang
Dembo      Darboe
Adama      Jammeh
