The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Sunday organized the annual Club Management meeting at Football Hotel in Old Yundum. The meeting, an annual event that takes place ahead of the commencement of the domestic football season, brought together club owners and the football leadership.
The season gets underway in midweek, 13th January, with the second division kick starting the campaign with four matches across various venues with another four fixtures scheduled for the next day. The first division will begin on Friday 15th January.
Unlike previous seasons, there will be no traditional curtain raiser super cup competition this season after the previous campaign was aborted because of the Corona virus pandemic.
Mr. Ebou Faye, the GFF 2nd Vice President and Head of Competitions made a presentation on various thematic areas. These include the Covid-19 protocols, the guidelines and regulations of the league logistics, registration of players for the new season, match venues and player contracts amongst others.
Mr. Faye informed stakeholders that the Soma Mini Stadium and the Live Your Dreams Sports Academy in Basori have been included as new venues to host both first and second division matches. This is as a result of the unavailability of some mini stadiums that are currently under renovation. Banjul, Brikama, Serrekunda East, Serrekunda West, Bakau and Manjai are all expected to be ready to host matches again in February. In the meantime, the Independence Stadium at the National Technical Training Centre pitches will continue to host matches.
Faye disclosed that as a result of the long travels involved in the newly included venues, clubs travelling to Soma and Basori would be reimbursed D8,000:00 and D5,000:00 respectively. The teams traveling to the two venues have been, however, reminded to be at the grounds at least three hours before kickoff, while teams playing in the Greater Banjul Area are to arrive at match venues at least an hour before they are scheduled to kickoff.
He further disclosed that there has been a significant improvement on the price money for the league winners in division one as they pocket home D750,000:00, with the second and third place finishers getting D300,000:00 and D150,000:00 respectively.
Second Division winners will receive a price money of D350,000:00, with second and third place receiving D150,000:00 and D50,000:00 respectively. Women’s first division winners will receive D400,000:00, while second and third place will pocket home D200,000:00 and D100,000:00 respectively.
Professional League in 2022/23
He added that the proposed professional league is delayed by a year and will now get underway in 2022/23 due to the Covid19 pandemic. The membership, Mr. Faye said, will be opened to any club so long they meet the requirements. An independent board will be set up to determine the qualification of the clubs while the league management committee will be responsible to manage and organize the competition and the GFF is to serve as the overseer.
Declaring the session closed, First Vice President Mr. Bakary K. Jammeh said the GFF acknowledges the fact that the upcoming season will be particularly challenging but together it will be a successful one. Mr. Jammeh, speaking on behalf of the GFF President, Mr. Lamin Kaba Bajo, was quick to note that all hands must be on deck to achieve this.
“We know the 2021 football season will be challenging for a number of reasons, together we have seen that we have constraint with grounds leading us to go into even new areas,” he said, while expressing delight in the manner the football family deliberated on the topics. “I’m happy that the football family understands and accepts to go and play as far as Soma for the first division and Basori which is a new ground.”
Mr. Jammeh further reiterated the Federation’s readiness to fully comply with the Covid-19 health regulations that will be in full operation by the Medical Committee. He said it is a duty for all to protect the game and the people around it.
