espite twice winning the Africa
Under-17 Cup of Nations and
beating Brazil 3-1 at the Under-17
World Cup in 2005, until last
year Gambia had not won a
competitive away game at senior
level. But under Tom Saintfiet all that is changing.
After an impressive 3-1 win in Angola gave his
team a flying start in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers,
the Belgian coach says: “Before I came the team
had not won a senior match in five years. When I
came I made discipline on the pitch so the players
understand what they need to get results.”
Such performances are finally getting the locals
behind their national team and a crowd of 40,000- the biggest for a game in the country – crammed
into the 25,000-capacity Independence Stadium for
a 1-1 draw with Algeria in September 2018.
“This is our time,” says defender Pa Modou Jagne.
“Tactically, we are more disciplined and everyone is
sticking to the game plan we are given. Before it was
not like that.”
Jagne, who is with Zurich in Switzerland, is one of
more than 60 Gambians playing in Europe, while not
a single player in Saintfiet’s squad plays domestically.
The coach explains: “Players get $40 to $50 a
month in the Gambian league, which only runs from
December to April. It’s very difficult to live on that so
if you can live from football you go abroad.”
Just getting a contract abroad is viewed as an
achievement and many do not push on to match
such as Jagne, who has carved out a decade
long-career in Switzerland.
Mattar M’Boge, who is coach of Gambia’s under-
17 and under-20 teams, says: “There is a mentality
of our players that once they are on $5,000 a month
or whatever they have made it. Some players like
Pa Modou push themselves to the highest level but
a lot don’t.”
Saintfiet marshals his team based on resources,
and his style of playing deep and hitting opponents
on the counter-attack has brought some impressive
results. A 1-0 friendly win away to Morocco in June
was followed by the victory in Angola and a 2-2 draw
with DR Congo that put Gambia on top of their
AFCON 2021 qualifying group. However, not everyone
likes their team’s style of football.
“The public want us to play attacking football like
Barcelona,” says M’Boge. “Tom has been criticised for
playing counter-attacking football but he wants to get
us qualified. The tactics suit the team.”
Gambia have never qualified for a senior AFCON
tournament and M’Boge has no doubt that qualifying
for next year’s finals in Cameroon would be profound,
adding: “People think there is a curse, that we will
never get to an AFCON, but if they can turn on the
TV and see our team at an AFCON it will change
everyone’s mentality.”
Gambia’s destiny will be decided by home and
away qualifiers with Gabon in March. “We need three
points and have the chance to get the results but it
won’t be easy,” says the much-travelled Saintfiet who,
after often brief appointments elsewhere, is relishing
the challenge with Gambia.Tom Saintfiet’s
latest challenge
Belgian coach eyes progress for West Africans
which is an increase of more than
5.8 per cent on the previous year.
English clubs were the biggest
spenders with £1.5bn.
Friday January 24
CYPRUS: The car of Aris Limassol
president Yiannakis Panayi, whose
side are top of the Second Division,
is damaged in a bomb attack at his
home. It is unknown if the incident
is related to Aris being involved
in one of the four second-tier
matches being investigated for
suspicious betting activity.
GERMANY: Erling Haaland makes
it five goals in two games, scoring
twice more as a sub as Borussia
Dortmund beat Cologne 5-1.
Saturday January 25
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: With
a 2-2 draw at home to Moroccan
side Raja, Esperance set a new
record in the competition of 20
games without defeat.
ITALY: Torino concede seven
WORLD SERVICEUnbeaten...Esperance (red and yellow)D
Packed...fans flocked
to the game against
Algeria in 2018Victorious
...Al Sadd GambiaSTEVE MENARY