The Gambia’s Scorpions training camp in Morocco’s major economic city of Marrakech ended today following yesterday’s monumental 1-0 defeat of the home side in an international football friendly played at the Stade de Marrakech.
Led by The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Executive Committee Member Pa Yusu Samba, it’s Technical Director and the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youth & Sports, Tom Saintfiet and charges have been lodged at the magnificent Adam Park Marrakech Hotel & Spa since 3rd June as part of a 11-day training camp organised by the GFF to prepare the team ahead of the resumption of the 2021 and 2022 AFCON & World Cup qualifiers.
The Scorpions first played the Sylli Nationale of Guinea Conakry on Friday 7th June at one of the small pitches surrounding the Stade de Marrakech and it took a delightful poacher’s effort from the indefatigable Ebrima Sohna to secure a 1-0 win. Yesterday’s match played in front of a sparse crowd at the 45,000-seater main ball, Atalanta Bergamo’s Musa Barrow scored his first ever goal at international level in only his second start for the Scorpions after 27 minutes with a deflected effort to secure an identical scoreline win. However, it took a 91st minute penalty save from El Kanemi Warriors net tender Modou Jobe following Pa Modou Jagne’s handball to ensure the win.
Two wins out of two against African Cup of Nations bound teams is no small feat but yesterday’s win was made even more important with the fact that it was the first time that any senior National Team of Gambia secured an away win in a North African country. The last time the Scorpions played in Morocco was in 2013 when the home side won 2-0 and among the current crop of players, only Captains Pa Modou Jagne and Omar Colley played in that match. It was also the first time ever in the history of Gambian football that Scorpions secured back to back away wins in senior international football.
The first batch of players involving the Scandinavian delegation have already returned home last night together with Bubacarr Sanneh of Anderlecht. The European players together with Saintfiet will also depart later this morning and it would be left with the Gambian contingent that would leave here at around 8:30pm local time and arrive in Banjul at 1:00am Friday morning.