for double World Cup qualifiers
All 23 Gambia national team players selected for the world cup qualifiers against Burundi and Côte d’Ivoire will travel direct to Daresalam, Tanzania from their respective clubs, and are expected to arrive by tomorrow.
According to the GFF first vice president Bakary Jammeh, the local technical and administrative staff joining the team from Banjul were due to leave late last night.
The Gambia will play away to Burundi on 16 November in Dare salam since Burundi has no Caf approved stadium, and then stay in the same city for the home match against Ivory Coast on 20 November.
“We selected to host our match there to save preparatory time and cost in travelling back and forth to any other venue, ”said Jammeh.
He further revealed that the GFF has received D10 million from the government out of a budget of D24 million |meaning we have to make our own arrangement to meet the shortfall’. “It has often been like that and that’s why we are working around the clock to look for funding elsewhere which is not easy,” he said. According to Mr Jammeh they still owe the
national team some D3million from match bonuses of the last match with Congo and there is possibility of more bonus payments in case the team win both Burundi and Côte d’Ivoire. “This in addition, to camping allowances, accommodation, local transportation, security and other logistics for our home match in Tanzania are all factored in this budget,” he said.
Meanwhile in terms of technical preparation, the coach Tom Saintfiet has called up a 23-man squad including for the first time Mohammed Bajo, a sensational Under20 player who is hoping to make his debut for the senior team.
