Gambia U-17 Coach Abdoulie Bojang said his team is not at the WAFU Cup to add numbers but to compete for a place at the 2021 Total Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in September.
The gaffer was speaking in an exclusive interview with the Federation’s official website ahead of today’s deciding game with Mauritania. The Baby Scorpions had lost their opener to the hosts Senegal in a 4-2 defeat on Friday.
“We’re preparing these players to move them to the next level. The primary objective is we make sure that we develop them to make them understand football. We are not here also to make numbers; we will try to stick to our game plan and try to win the game because we want to move to the next level,” Bojang added.
“Qualifying to the Africa U-17 championship will help promote football in the country. We don’t only want to work on development but we want to compete with big footballing nations so that we can also be recognized as a big footballing nation and that will help us to move our football to the next level.”
The former Gambian midfield enforcer said his players are well motivated by the overwhelming message of support from The Gambia Football Federation, Ambassador Hadrammeh Sidibeh and Gambians at large despite their opening day defeat.