Bottrop, Gambia Senior Emerges Winners In Principals’ Cup

The curtains have been drawn in the finals of the GTBank Principals’ Cup held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau over the weekend. Thirty Two (32) schools from both the Upper and Senior Secondary Schools took part in the week long football fiesta sponsored by the Guaranty Trust Bank in partnership with the Gambia Football Federation.

Sunday’s final for the Senior Secondary Schools, Bottrop female team and Gambia Senior Secondary School male teams were the highest decorated sides as both schools went home with trophies as winners of this year’s principals’ Cup played in front of an impressive crowd at the Independence Stadium on Sunday 4th August, 2019.

In the female category, defending champions Gambia Senior secondary school were denied a back to back win by the new kids on the terrain Bottrop Senior Secondary school in the early kickoff at 3pm after one all at full time that ensued into post match shootouts. Almost all players on either side scored their goals in a marathon drama as neither side could decide the winner. The kicks from the penalty spot continued and would now be decided by first to loose which Bottrop won 9-8 with goalkeeper Amie Sidibeh who later received the golden glove was the heroine.

In the male Final, new comers Nasir Senior Secondary School in their debut final, lost to regular participants Gambia Senior Secondary School 4-1 in a what was a simple and effortless affair to compensate for their girls that lost to Bottrop in the female category.

Gambia Senior’s Dawda Sankareh lifted a rocket volley right from a diving cross at the edge of the box  straight into the net leaving all four defense and goalkeeper motionless. Dawda’s classy skill left the pavilions cheering with a standing ovation from the fans. ” This is similar to Christiano’s goal in the Champions League against juventus”, a fan shouted from the stands.

Mawlana Camara made it 2 in just few minutes before Abdoulie Baldeh was brought down in the box. The spot kick was converted and made it 3 nil. This was short lived as Nasir came from behind through Momodou Alieu jallow but as if that was going to lift up hopes for the Basse hopefuls, play maker Abdoulie Baldeh scored his second for Gambia Senior Secondary Schoo just at the brink of stoppage time.

The Final was punctuated with presentation of Awards to Bottrop Senior Secondary School as Winners in the Female category with a giant trophy, medals and case reward of D75, 000 while Gambia Senior Secondary School reveied Runners Up Silver medals and D50,000.

In the male category, Gambia Senior Secondary School were decorated withmedals, trophy and D75,000 cash prize while Nasir Ahmadiyaa Muslim Senior Secondary School received Runners up award with silver medals and D50,000

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Female category

Golden glove- Amie sidibeh ( Bottrop )

Best player- Fatou Fatty (Gambia Senior )

Leading goal scorer- Fatou sonko ( Bottrop )

Male category

Golden glove- Modou Bah ( Mindaw )

Best player- Essa sowe ( Gambia Senior )

Leading goal scorer – Abdoulie Baldeh  ( Gambia Senior ) 4 goals

The finals also witnessed the award of a promising female player Sira Jarjue 12 years of presentation Vocational Technical School. She received an award from GFF Women’s and Grassroots Coordinators Alagie Nyassi and sainey sissohore respectively

This is the fourth edition of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) national schools football competition, dubbed The Principals’ Cup, sponsored by GTBank and organized by the Gambia Schools Football Association an affiliate body of the GFF.

Its a Grassroots competition that is meant to bring together boys and girls from schools across the country in Upper and Senior Secondary Schools. It takes the form of a national championship at regional level and it is the eight best teams that qualifies for the final stages. Eight other teams also qualify at the Senior level making a total of sixteen teams altogether.

The national championship is sponsored by the GFF but Football House has outsourced the organisation of the competition to The Gambia School Football Association, a member association of the Federation.

The weekend Finals was graced by the GFF president Lamin Kaba Bajo and Executive Committee members of the GFF, GTBank Officials and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.