The President of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF), Mr. Lamin Kabba Bajo, has described as another positive development in our football and the national team with the news that Gambia Captain Omar Colley has completed his big money move to Italian Serie A’ giants Sampdoria on a three-year deal after passing a medical.
Colley, 25, a former Wallidan Football Club protégé, became the most expensive Gambian footballer when he completed his Samps’ move at the weekend, signing from Belgian side Genk on a reported 9.5million Euros (plus performance related add-ons) deal, an equivalent of more than half of a billion Dalasi. In the last of his two seasons at Genk, he helped them to a 5th place finish in 2017/18.
Mr. Bajo added that watching Colley during his formative years at Wallidan and his development at both KuPS and Djurgarden, he always knew that the left-footed defender was set for bigger things in future, thus The Gambia football boss isn’t surprise with his upwards trajectory from Finland to Sweden, later Belgium (spending two seasons in each country) and now Italy.
“As a Federation, we have always wanted to see our players playing in top leagues across the world, because the more this happens, the stronger our national teams would become and this is a clear manifestation of that. We do not only want to see our players in top leagues across the world, but also to be playing regularly. At his age, OJ he’s already a veteran who is at the peak of his career and needs regular playing time and I’m happy for him that he has taken this decision,” Bajo, a seasoned diplomat told the Federation’s in-house medium.
“Sampdoria is one of the strongest teams in the Italian league and when you look at his development in the last six years that he spent in Europe, it wouldn’t be farfetched to dream that they could not have been better placed to improve on their only league triumph of the 1991/92 season. I’ve no doubt that OJ has the talent, determination and the drive to guide Sampodoria to European football. Despite his young age, he is one of the most experienced and exposed players of the current national team. So basically he is one of those players who are both the present and future of Gambian football. We are very much delighted for him and wish him the best of luck in his new adventure.”
Sampdoria had been one of the many European teams that continued to court the Gambian international throughout his stint with Genk, as well as Fenerbahçe, Besiktas and Watford. But the former Real de Banjul player finally opted for the Italians. Speaking in an interview with his new club’s official website, he expressed his delight in signing at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. “It’s an honour to become part of this great family,” recounted the defender in his first statement as a Samp player. “I’d like to thank Club President Massimo Ferrero, who did everything he could to make sure I made it here to Samp, the high point of my career. I’m a high-character footballer, I like to be a leader out on the pitch, helping my team to concede as few goals as possible, and get positive results.”
In March this year, Belgian journalist Sven Claes described the Gambian as one of the best defenders in the country’s top-flight (as per Gambia Sports Online). Scoring a solitary goal in the 38 games he was involved in last season, Claes said OJ is virtually the complete defensive package, and at 25, he still has much growing to do in a professional sense.
“I really like this player. Colley has really impressed. Colley is the defense leader [in the Genk team]. Omar Colley is one of the best defenders in Belgium. I think he’s ready for the next step, I think he’s leaving this summer. The Belgian league is now with all good Belgian players in the Premier League, so it’s a very interesting league. If you’re ready for the next step when you’re in Belgium, then it’s up to England.”
