Gambia Young Scorpions Head Coach Mattar Mboge has finally released his team list for the WAFU tournament to be held in Liberia later in April.
Mattar was speaking at a pre tournament press conference held on Thursday April 19th at the Football House in Kanifing where the Media engaged the U-20 gaffer about his technical plans for the Gambia at the forth coming edition of the Fox Sports WAFU tournament.
‘The first phase of the training took off at the end of December where we invited 25 players. The basic purpose was to identify the players’.
According to Mattar, the forth coming WAFU U-20 tournament will avail him.opportunity to prepare for the AfCON U-20 Qualifier against Benin in May. ‘ I think I will thank WAFU for the opportunity they have just made to us’, Mattar pointed out.
During the team building and eventual final selection, MATARR disclosed that Four practice matches were Organized for the squad Viz: Brikama Utd, Real De Banjul, Gamtel and Hawks where the Young Scorpions won two and drew two. ‘These are very important test games for us because the results were positive’.
He said there are two primary objectives of the team to the WAFU tournament; to do as much as the team can play and to prepare for the AfCON U-20 Qualifier’.
Team captain BASIROU Mbye said he is ready to transfer his international club experience to the U-20 and help the team win the coveted trophy. ‘I am very proud to wear the national colors of my country and to be invited by the Gambia. The team is social to me and everyone is talking about the tournament and we share a lot of things together’. BASIROU is also team captain for FC Lokeren in Belgium
Young Scorpions Full List and Officials
GOAL KEEPERS
Yankuba Colley ( Hawks )
Ebrima Cham ( GAMTEL )
DEFENDERS
Pa OUSMAN Gai ( Stade De Mbour, Senegal )
Muhammed SANNEH ( Real De Banjul )
Sadi Gaye ( Wallidan )
Habibou Mendy ( Brikama Utd )
James Gomez ( Real De Banjul )
Modou NDOW ( Wallidan )
LAMIN Conteh ( GPA )
FORWARDS
Adama Jammeh ( GAF )
BASIROU Mbye ( KSC Lokeren, Belgium )
ABDOULIE Sarr ( Banjul Utd )
Mattar Badjie ( Hawks )
Mustapha Drammeh ( Stade De Mbour, Senegal
OFFICIALS
Mattar Mboge – Head Coach
ASST Coaches – Alagi MARONG, Yahya Maneh
Team Medic – Karamo B TOURAY
Kit Manager – Mustapha Kassama
Team MANAGER – Ousman Drammeh
Head of Delegation – Rtd Lieut Gen Lang Tombong TAMBA
The team is expected to leave Banjul on Monday April 23rd.
Gambia plays it’s opener with Guinea on April 25th before squaring off with Senegal on April 27th and a final round of match day with Mali on 29th.