Retired international referee Malick Sillah has declared his intention to run for President in the Gambia Football Federation elections slated for August 18. Sillah represented The Gambia when he was at his peak as one of the most respected referees on the continent. He is also a career civil servant who worked at Gambia diplomatic missions under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Contacted for confirmation Mr Sillah said he has decided to run to give football to the footballers.
“My mission is clear, I think time is long over due for Gambian football to be given to the people who play, administer, organize or participate in it. For far too long Gambian football has been in the hands of people who have come to cash in its popularity, its potential financial and other luxuries while the game suffers. Imagine how many productive, highly educated former Gambian international players and other veterans are around ostracized or excluded from football affairs while nonentities who have no history or connection whatsoever with Gambian football are allowed to run our game with no visible or tangible gain despite huge resources put at their disposal by Fifa and Caf,” Sillah said.
Mr Sillah, as a former referee naturally has never ben associated with any camp or faction in Gambian football and his campaign team believes this will be his advantage to rally credible people into his team. Mr Sillah is currently the director of finance at the Office of the President.
