The most important football assignment for The Gambia starts this evening in Djibouti where the national team will take on the host in the first of two matches that will determine which of the two countries will progress to the group stages of the qualifiers for the 2021 African Nations Cup.
The second match of the tie will be played here at the Stadium on Sunday October 13.
For The Gambia, failure to progress means the country will not play an official football match at senior level for another two years or more. Against that background, the tie has been widely seen to be the battle of survival for Gambian football with every heart beating to a single tune, eliminate Djibouti, one of the least football achievers on the continent.
However, they have managed to reach the group stages of the world cup qualifiers which Gambia could not do.
The Scorpions arrived in Djibouti Monday night hit by two late withdrawals from the named 20-man squad.
The Gambia Football Federation GFF reported that Dadi Dodou Gaye will not be available as he needed time to rest and recover from an injury.
So too is Hamza Barry, out with a hamstring according to his club. To replace them, the coach has called Etoile du Sahel forward Adama Jammeh and Gamtel defender Ngine Faye Njie to the squad,
Perhaps aware of the importance of the assignment, the GFF appointed 1st Vice President Bakary K Jammeh as head of the delegation who along with other officials preceded the team in Djibouti city.
Last night the team had its only training at Stade Hassan Ouled, the venue for the match this evening at 4 PM.
All heart and minds are tuned to the happenings from the Hassan Ouled Stadium from 4 pm this evening. Good luck to The Gallant Scorpions.
