Liberia President His Excellency George Weah has described the Gambia U-20 as a very good team and encouraged the Young Scorpions to keep up their spirit of togetherness and dedication. President Weah briefly met the Gambian team at the Samuel K Doe Stadium in Monrovia at the ongoing WAFU tournament where the Gambia now progresses to the semi final stage with Ivory Coast after beating Mali one nil on Sunday.
The brief pose with the Liberian Head of State was facilitated by Gambia’s Head Of Delegation Rtd Lieutenant General Lang Tombong Tamba where all members of the team met up and posed with the former world player in photographs.
Meanwhile, after the eventual qualification to the semi final of the tournament having beaten Mali one nil on Sunday, the Young Scorpions are now bracing up to square off Ivory Coast on Wednesday April 2nd in the second Semi final of the tournament.
Head of Delegation Lang Tombong Tamba said the Young Scorpions are in high spirit and thus want nothing but the trophy. ‘ Our brief encounter with His Excellency George Weah at the Stadium has motivated and encouraged the team having met a former world player and now President is all monumental for all of us and the boys are motivated with that’. General Tamba acknowledged the high degree of respect amongst the boys and officials as ‘ unity and togetherness’.
With their mid week Semi Final against Ivory Coast, Tamba said the Young Scorpions are aware of the task ahead but are not afraid to take up the challenge. ‘ The boys are up to the task. Although Ivory Coast is a big side and we respect them for that, but the Coach and his Technical Staff are working on their plans for that game because it is a very important game for us’.
He thanked the GFF Executive Committee and Secretariat Staff for the continuous support. ‘ The GFF is monitoring us from here and we do talk to the Executive and Staff everyday and they are very concerned about our welfare. The President is in touch with us on daily basis and guiding us throughout. So we fully appreciate your support’.
Meanwhile Gambian born Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai, Director of UN Systems in Liberia visited the Young Scorpions at their Palm Springs Hotel in Monrovia. Dr Beyai congratulated the Young Scorpions for their good performances and hailed the team as worthy champions of the tournament. He further felicitated them for the victory against Mali that earned them semi final berth. The UN Official donated refreshments to the team and prayed for a victory against Ivory Coast on Wednesday, 2nd of May 2018. Dr Beyai was accompanied to the Gambian team by Ba S Jabbie a member of the WAFU Organizing Committee.
The Gambia will take on Ivory Coast on Wednesday April 2nd 2018 in the second semi final of the tournament at 4pm at the SKD Stadium in Monrovia while Liberia takes on Mali in the first semis.