Young Africans Football Club who has been stripped off its points by the Gambia Football Federation GFF Appeals Committee alleging that it fielded an illegible player during second division league playoff match against Baalor Sarra FC, has lodged an appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports CAS.
Young Africans won the said match that qualified them to the second division but the GFF Appeals Committee finally upheld Baalors FC’s appeal and stripped Young Africans of the points and handed them to Baalor which incidentally enabled them to take Young Africans place in the second division.
Unhappy with the decision Young Africans made use of the only available course opened to them which is to go to CAS in Switzerland.
Earlie, the Banjul Regional Football Association, (which administers the regional Third Division League in Banjul too sent a letter to the GFF absolving Young Africans of any blame and clearing them of the allegations made by Baalor FC and upheld by the Appeals Committee.
The team also addressed the following letter to the GFF president Lamin Kaba Bajo about the matter: “Dear Mr President, we write to formally respond to the decision taken by the GFF regarding the eligibility of our player, Alberto Gomez, and our club’s subsequent elimination from the forthcoming Second Division League.
Young Africans FC, based in Banjul, has a rich history in Gambian football, having previously competed in both the First and Second Divisions of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) League. The club’s notable achievement includes winning the GFF Cup in 2010. However, during the 2022/2023 season, Young Africans FC faced relegation to the Third Division.
In the 2023/2024 season, the club competed in the Banjul Regional Football Association Third Division League, where we emerged as league champions. This success led to a playoff match against Baalor Sarr FC, which was decided by a penalty shootout in favour of Young Africans FC. As a result, the club earned promotion to the GFF Second Division Football League, and we have already began preparations for the new competition.
On 2 August 2024, the GFF addressed a letter to Baalor Sarr FC regarding a protest filed by Baalor FC against Young Africans FC, accusing the club of fielding unqualified players in that letter.
However, the GFF Organising Committee, in its meeting on the 23rd July 2024, dismissed the protest. Despite this, on 18 September 2024, the GFF Appeals Committee issued a letter stating that Young Africans FC would be relegated back to the Third Division due to the claimed that player Alberto Gomez was not registered. The club disputes this decision, as Gomez had participated in all our matches in the Third Division.
The Gambia Football Federation Appeals Committee stated that the players in question, including Alberto Gomez, have duly met all the requirements stipulated by the Competition Department for teams to qualify for the playoffs. We believe it is important to provide additional clarity to ensure that this matter is handled fairly and in accordance with established regulations. The GFF did not obtain any document officially from the Banjul Regional Football Association BRFA. An employee of the GFF collected the document and we as a club believed it was tampered with.
Firstly, we would like to inform you that Alberto Gomez is duly registered with the Banjul Regional Football Association (BRFA), to which we, as a club, are affiliated. It is important to note that Alberto’s registration does not fall under the jurisdiction of the GFF’s Competition Department, but rather the BRFA. As a result, any inquiries regarding his eligibility should have been directed to the BRFA, which prepared and submitted all necessary documentation for the players on our behalf.
Furthermore, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that there was no initial protest against Alberto’s participation within the stipulated protest period of 24 hours following the match in question. It is only after three months that an appeal was lodged regarding Alberto’s eligibility. Such a delayed appeal undermines the integrity of the process, as it is both outside the acceptable time frame and contrary to established regulations. Young Africans FC and the Banjul Regional Football Association were not informed of the initial appeal launched by Baalor Sarr FC.
The player concerned, Alberto Gomez has consistently played in all matches during the season, including those in Banjul, and his inclusion in the match day squad was always conducted in accordance with the rules. His player card was presented during pre-match inspections without any objections. If there were any doubts regarding his eligibility, these concerns should have been raised at that time, not months after the fact.
We as a club did not prepare the documents for the players mentioned (Abdou Touray, Lamin Badjan, Sulayman Faye, Alpha Badjie, Ebrima Nyang and Alberto Gomez). Their cards were prepared by the Banjul Regional Football Association. So, the GFF should have consulted the BRFA before writing to us. Please be informed that the Young Africans FC is too good to forge documents and in modern day football is very difficult for a club to forge documents.
An insider told us that some GFF officials who are part of Baalor Sarr FC were present and involved in the decision that eliminated our team which we believe is a conspiracy.
As a club, we have always operated in compliance with the rules and regulations of both the GFF and the BRFA. The decision to eliminate us from the Second Division League playoffs is unjustified and appears to be based on an administrative oversight. We strongly urge the GFF to reconsider its position on this matter and to reinstate our rightful place in the competition.
We trust that the GFF will review this matter thoroughly and take the necessary steps to ensure fairness prevails. We look forward to your response and the prompt resolution of this issue.”
