The battle lines were drawn since Wednesday and tomorrow evening The Gambia Under-20 team will face the most important assignment in their lives so far when they come face to face with host Liberia in the battle for the title at the SKD Stadium in Monvoria.
Buoyed by their encouraging display against Ivory Coast , the Boys who improved in every match with an unprecedented hat-trick of Man of the Match awards are not intimidated by the thought of meeting host Liberia knowing fully well that only that hurdle sits between them and a glorious history.
Many fans and experts have since vowed that if they could repeat the bravery against Ivory Coast, one of the early favourites of the tournament, The Young Scorpions could well lift the trophy tomorrow.
Ivory Coast gave indications from their first game against Liberia (3-0) that they came for the trophy especially after going on to beat Guinea Bissau 4-0 and Sierra Leone 4-1.
Ivory Coast also scored the highest number of goals but when it came to what matters Wednesday, their goal merchants went to sleep allowing Gambia to wake them with an early lead by Basiru Mbye. They pulled back the lead but were devastated by the eventual lost to the Gambia in a marathon shootout that left everyone dizzy from Monrovia to Banjul and Abidjan.
The result sent scares all around Liberia where citizens including President Weah began to sit up straight to take in the sheer might of the little fancied Scorpions.
But Liberia too is not easily shaken in this tournament. An impressive comeback from their first match defeat to beat Guinea Bissau (2-1) and later whipping Sierra Leone (5-1) have shown the Junior Lone Stars are now serious about taking the trophy on home soil. Only the leather and its direction will tell the story at the SKD Stadium tomorrow.
