Gambia Referee Bakary Papa Gassama was honored at a reception held at the Football Hotel in Yundum to bid him farewell to the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 where he will make his second appearance at a FIFA World Cup event in the summer.
The Cocktail reception was held at the Football Hotel in Yundum presided over by GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo. President Bajo hailed Papa as the most decorated Gambian Referee of all time having won the African Referee of The Year three times consecutively on the trot and played Total Africa Cup of Nations Final, CAF Champions League Final, FIFA Club World Cup matches and other Inter Club Competitions across Africa amongst many other premier assignments and titles across Africa and the world.
‘ The Standard of refereeing in the Gambia is growing steadily hence the feat acquired by Papa because if Football is not developing well, refereeing will not also be doing well’. Mr Bajo said the GFF has premised Refereeing as a very important catalyst to developing Football in the Gambia and that under his leadership, the refereeing sector will be given all the priorities it deserve. He however challenged the Referees and referees Committee to live up to expectation and step up more to equal the feat of Bakary Papa Gassama.
‘ I challenge you to also come up well so that there is more representation from the Gambia just as in other countries. By now, Papa should be going with his Gambian panel to officiate matches and that is what CAF is advocating for’.
Papa will be making his second appearance at FIFA World Cup after he made his debut at the 2014 edition in Brazil shortly after been voted African Referee of the Year by the Confederation of African Football ( CAF ) which he eventually won on three straight counts. He is expected to leave over the coming week to Russia. 
The farewell dinner was also attended by GFF 3rd Vice President Martin Gomez, Executive Committee Members Bakary K Jammeh, Mamlisa Camara and Sainabou Cham. Also in attendance was members of the Gambia Referees Committee and FIFA Elite Referees and a cross section of the Football stakeholders. The occasion was chaired by GFF General Secretary Lamin M Jassey.
