The Gambia Football Federation has formally unveiled adopted names to its facilities at the National Technical Training Centre in Yundum to veteran football administrators and former players in the country that have lived for the life of football family in the Gambia and beyond. The naming and renaming of the facilities culminated in the maiden edition of the GFF Awards and Recognition Night held on Saturday 4th January, 2020 at the Oasis Apartments in Kololi.
In unveiling the names and structures, Awards Committee Chairman Ebou Faye (GFF 2nd Vice President) explained the rationale for the wisdom the GFF has taken. “We have decided to name some of the facilities at the NTTC after our veteran footballers because they have contributed to the growth and development of football in the Gambia and beyond and this is one way in order for their names to be remembered for posterity“.
Earlier on, the GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo led a high powered Executive delegation to the families of the individuals to be named on the facilities in order to formally inform them of the Football Federation’s proposals for the renaming/naming. Two of the adopted names are deceased while the three others live in a healthy life with their families.
President Bajo also reinforced the football leadership’s decision for the renaming/naming of the facilities when he took to the podium at the Weekend Awards. ” This follows on the heels of the successful reconstruction and refurbishment of the National Technical Training Center and the setting up of the Football Hotel in Yundum“. He said the people named herein have selflessly sacrifice their time, energy and resources to the growth and development of football in the Gambia and beyond.
GFF Football Hotel Hall Alh OB Conateh
CITATION FOR ALH OB COANTEH 
A Gambian asset and legend to become, Fisco was born on 1st November 1937 in Banjul, The Gambia. He is a household name in The Gambia and around the sub-region. As a young and energetic smart boy who will later become an icon in Gambian football, Fisco attended St. Augustine’s High School and had a professional training in merchandise, marketing and entrepreneurship at the United Africa Company (UAC) in Lagos, Nigeria, where he was later made the manager of Kingsway Supermarket, one of the subsidiaries of UAC. One of the finest cyclists The Gambia would ever produce and that prompted him to be the first to introduce cycling in the country.
The octogenarian Fisco has employed over hundreds of men and women in the sports fraternity into his company just to provide employment to young Gambians and give them a reason to live and uplift their families. Humble and always wishes good for everyone irrespective of ones origin, background or tribe. Despite his responsibility as founder of Wallidan Football Club, OB never stopped helping other clubs within the league. The man with Gambian football at heart
Uncle Fisco served as the President of the then The Gambia Football Association from 1993 until his voluntary retirement in 2001. His unflinching efforts in raising football in The Gambia during his stint as its president was reciprocated when he was bestowed with the rare reverence of the honorary life presidency of the national football governing body at a 2001 Congress and remains so until today. He never played football but has always been a keen admirer and in 1969, through one of his many philanthropic gestures, founded what is regarded as one of the most successful stories in Gambian football, the birth of Wallidan. It was in the summer of that year when some boys (now grandparents) sought assistance to form a football club and gave the birth of the Blues.
Outside of sports, he is one of the most respected figures in normal Gambian life. He is the Chairman of the Banjul Committee of Elders; member of the Executive Committee of the Banjul Muslim Elders; mentor and role model for many youth; initiator of self-help project with social associations for community development. He was a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF); first vice president of the West African Football Union (WAFU) and honorary consul of the Republic of Cote d’ Ivoire in The Gambia.
A baron of sports and football in particular, an athlete during his youth days and later a seasoned administrator par excellence, he was a devastating cricketer and an ex-national cycling champion. A true entrepreneur in all definitions, this living legend has done so much for the development of sports, particularly football in The Gambia and beyond and has impacted positively on the lives of many. The founding father of Gambia’s most successful football club, Wallidan, Fisco has won several awards in and outside of the country. In 1986, he was decorated with the prestigious honour of the Insignia of Member of the Republic of The Gambia (MRC); Officer of the National Order of the Republic of Cote d’ Ivoire in 1995; inducted into the Hall of Fame as National Cycling Champion, International Cricketer. For the outstanding contribution to the development of youth and sport in 1999; he also won the Millennium Award for Excellence by The Gambia National Olympic Committee in 2000 and in 2001, he was honoured with the Achievement Award for Excellence by The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Insignia of the National Order of the Republic of The Gambia (ORG). In 2007, he was made Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Cote d’ Ivoire.
GFF Admin and Technical Block Alh Houssainou MM Njie
CITATION FOR ALH HOUSSAINOU MM NJIE
He was born in royalty and died in dignity for he lived his life a humble way, sacrificing his and his family’s privileges so others too can live a happy life of having little to worry about. The first son of business tycoon Momodou Musa Njie, Housainou Momodou Musa Njai or Jimmy, as he was fondly called, have impacted positively on the lives of many Gambians in all facets of our lives, but mostly in sports.
The Late Alh Houssainou is been described as the support system of Gambian football. A former Managing Director of the defunct Gambia Commercial and Development Bank (GCDB), the late Njai’s name is mostly associated with the formation of Hawks Football Club but his association with Gambian football weighs far beyond that. Many have described his contribution to the sport as the single biggest by any Gambian and during his name he would sponsor a whole national team of The Gambia by paying for all their bills and still made efforts to ensure outside matches are relayed to the population back home through live commentaries on radio. He financed the camping of the national team, brought in both [Gambia National Insurance Company] GNIC and GCDB as the first sponsors of the 1978 Association.
GFF Football Main Building Alh Omar Sey
CITATION FOR ALH OMAR SEY (DECEASED)
He was born in Basse in the Upper River Region and brought up in Banjul where he completed his high school and later proceeded to the United States of America to pursue a degree in Industrial Phycology. After finishing his studies, he became a lecturer at the Yundum College until the late 1970s when government first created the Department of Youth and Sports when he was asked to head the Department by the then Minister for Sports Alhaji MC Cham. The young man at this time was an active FIFA Referee playing across Africa and the world at large on both FIFA and CAF sanctioned matches.
It came in the mid-1970s when a vacancy for membership in the CAF Executive Committee was opened for affiliated members, The Gambia government through the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Foreign Affairs made efforts to have Mr. Sey elected into the Continental Committee. Former Minister of Youth and Sports MC Cham took up the initiative with support from his cabinet colleague Lamin Kiti Jabang of Foreign Affairs and approached Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara for the government to dispatch a special envoy to canvass support across Africa for support to Mr. Sey’s candidature. He later won the contest against Ckeikh Kouyateh of Mali.
He became the first Gambian to have served in the CAF Executive Committee and rose through the ranks to become the first Chairman of the CAF Referees Committee. He heightened his accolade when he went into the ranks of FIFA to become the trusted confidant of former President Joao Havelenge who later recommended him to take up the Presidency of CAF.
Artificial Turf Pitch at NTTC Alh Ousman Saho
CITATION FOR ALH OUSMAN SAHO
Mr Ousman Saho the late was born in Sere kunda where he was also raised up during his formative years as a boy. Ous is the elder brother of Goalkeeper Baboucarr Saho (late).
He was into petroleum business with then BP and became resident in Brikama.
In 1982, Mr Saho registered Saraba Football Club at the Serekunda Nawettan and where they went to win the knockout cup in the Year. Saraba was the first team outside of the Greater Banjul Area to have won a coveted Nawettan Cup.
He managed Saraba in 1980 with the likes of Coach Ebrima Bojang, Solo Gibba, James Freeman, Abdoulie Bobb , Kebba Touray ( KK ), Malick Bah , Abdoulie Star Njie, Mustapha Minteh , Buba Cham , Yusuf Badjie a former Hawks player, Micheal Demba ( Micky B) and,Alieu Badara Jarju to name a few.
In 1985 Mr Saho used his trucks and personal resources to provide trips of sand for the construction and fencing of the Box bar mini stadium in Brikama which was completed in 1987.
Grass Pitch at NTTC Alh Biri Njie
CITATION FOR ALH BIRI NJIE
Born in Banjul in the late ’40s, the man to be named as the President’s Award Nominee attended Albion Primary School at Stanley Street in Banjul, St Mary’s Primary and Crab Island Secondary Modern Schools. He started playing football in the streets of Banjul and was the captain of the Crab Island school team. His qualities were first observed by the late Alhagi Ebou Conteh who introduced him to league football in 1963 with Black Stars a Second Division team. He played only one match for Black Stars and was promoted the very next day to the 1st Division team Black Diamonds and played in their cup final the same day.
During his playing days in The Gambia he was the player that every team wanted to have on its side. He went on to play for White Phantoms, Arrance, Augustinians and Wallidan, winning trophies and medals with all these teams.
He was first selected for the national team in 1963 when he was still going to school and was an automatic choice for selection in the national team until 1985 – a staggering 22 years. He continued playing for his last team Wallidan until 1987 when he finally decided to hang up his boots.
He played against teams from Senegal, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Cote d’ Ivoire, and Sierra Leone and was very well known, admired and respected in all these countries.
In 1965 after playing against Sierra Leone he was signed by Black Pool in Sierra Leone as a semi professional.
In 1970 he was invited for trials with Derby County Football Club then a 1st Division English League Club.
In 1972 he turned professional and signed for a Danish 1st club B1901.
In 1973 he signed a 5year contract with Seville FC a 1st Division team in Spain.
In 1978 he returned to Denmark and played for Herfolio FC until 1981 when he returned to The Gambia and continued playing with Wallidan.