The Gambia is paired with Sierra Leone in the preliminary round of qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be held in Uruguay in 2018. The Scorpion Girls take on their counterparts with the first leg in Freetown scheduled to take place between 13–15 October with the return leg 27–29 October. The winners advance to the first round where five-time U-17 World Cup participants Ghana lie in wait.
The Scorpion Girls last qualified for the 2012 U-17 World Cup held in Azerbaijan where they took on USA, France and North Korea in what was the most difficult group of the tournament. Indeed, France and eventual winners North Korea contested the final which once again highlighted the high level of the group the Scorpion Girls found themselves in.
Nonetheless, the majority of that team now forms the bedrock of the senior national team, the Scorpion Queens, and their experience will help them going forward. This is the primary function of the national junior teams and the GFF remains committed to development especially at grassroots level.
