With The Gambia heading to a crowded and intense Afcon qualifiers beginning this September , a dark cloud has risen over the horizon over the country’s football with international star Yankuba Minteh declaring that he personally, and may be many other players will not play until the issue of Independence Stadium is fixed. The Stadium has not hosted matches for over five years despite heavy investment in rehabilitation work that soar failed to meet Caf criteria.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports which is implementing the rehabilitation work said it is hopeful the facility will be ready by September.
At the beginning of this month a planned friendly against Sierra Leone and a regional sports competition were called off largely because the facility is not entirely ready.
However friendly match against Iran in Turkey went ahead with a leger absenteeism of players triggering rumours of a boycott.Youth
On Sunday, respected Gambia football online Portal Gam Foot Transfer, quoting reporter Foday For Journalist, reported that Minteh may have been the influence behind the players’ absenteeism in Turkey..
It quoted the Brighton player as saying: “I’m not playing for the Gambia national team anymore until the stadium is ready because I am frustrated. I am behind this strike. I have tried to bring players with me to not play for Gambia anymore until the stadium is ready because the authorities don’t care about us. But many players are scared. Many of them may be don’t have the profile that I have today, but I’ve been thinking about it and I don’t want to play for Gambia until the stadium is ready.”
According to Minteh, he has since started playing charity games in the country in this off season so that Gambian fans could have the chance see him play.
“Because they have been supporting me for a long time, so I decided to do this strike and not play for Gambia until the stadium is ready,” Minteh said.
He observed that some people may feel that his behavior is out of big headedness or self-importance.
“But I don’t care. I know that I do this for Gambia, and somebody has to take this step,” he said.
