GFF President Decorates 16 FIFA Referees, Donate Communication Gadgets

The President of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF), Lamin Kaba Bajo, today decorated and presented working gadgets to 16 Gambian referees that are enlisted into the 2025 FIFA list of international referees in a ceremony held at Football House in Kanifing.

The list of referees that include new badge holder Sait Ngallan, are 12 men and four women, all certified by the world football governing body for international assignments across Africa. The referees were presented with their new FIFA badges alongside uniforms courtesy of Sport Saller, and communications equipment bankrolled by President Bajo. The communications gadgets consist of eight sets of four gadgets each, with seven of the eight personally donated by Mr. Bajo and one by Assan Touray, a Gambian based in the United States.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, President Bajo congratulated the referees for their inclusion in the FIFA list of international referees, while commending them for their hard work and dedication. An ardent supporter of Gambian referees, Mr. Bajo said men and women in black play a vital role in football development and as such, they should be highly considered during the execution of their duties. He added that the GFF is very cognizant of the role of referees in football development, without which there would be no meaningful football. He also paid glowing tribute to the pioneers of Gambian refereeing who laid the foundation for the new crop of referees, including the celebrated referee Bakary Papa Gassama, who is a four times African Best Referee of the Year award winner. Mr. Bajo further encouraged the referees to keep up the good work and raise the Gambian flag higher across the world.

Speaking earlier, the first Vice President Bakary K. Jammeh also congratulated the referees for been inducted into the new FIFA list of officials and congratulated them for their hard work and dedication. Mr. Jammeh remarked that this milestone could not have been achieved without football being developed in the country. He said the GFF under the leadership of Lamin Kabba Bajo values refereeing to a great deal from across the local leagues to other competitions organised by the Federation. He encouraged them to follow suit the steps made by Bakary Papa Gassama who has made Gambia proud across the world.

Papa Gassama, who also graced the occasion, first thanked the GFF for the environment created for referees to perform without any outside interference. Gassama, a three-time FIFA World Cup finalists as a referee, and a member of the GFF Referees Committee, also congratulated the referees for their deserved inclusion in the new list of FIFA badge holders and encouraged them to keep up the momentum.

Gambia’s current number one referee Lamin N. Jammeh gave the vote of thanks. He thanked FIFA, CAF and the GFF for the new list of referees for the 2025 year. He promised, on behalf of his colleagues, that the materials donated would be optimally used during their duties as it would ease their work. He further thanked President Bajo for the donation of the communications gadgets, describing it as a very timely and important equipment in carrying out their duties.

Mikailu Secka, who represented Sport Saller at the event, thanked the GFF for the partnership and congratulated the referees for their new badges. He promised that Saller’s relationship with the GFF dates back long time ago and would continue to give support to the Federation at all times when the need arises

The ceremony was chaired by John Frank Mendy the President of the Gambia Football Referees Association, who doubles as the Chairman of the GFF Referees Committee.  Mr. Mendy, while congratulating the new badge holders challenged them to maintain the high standards set by Gambian referees. The ceremony was also attended by members of the Executive Committee of the GFF, the General Secretary, senior staff as well as members of the Referees Committee.