– A Win in Blida Could See Gambia Makes Maiden AFCON Appearance
The Gambia will bring the curtain down on its 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifiers when they take on Algeria in Blida on March 22, 2019. Coach Tom Saintfiet has invited players for the keenly awaited game and would on 15th March, 2019 unveil his squad at a press conference at Football House at 11:00am.
Speaking to the Gambia Football Federation’s official website, Ousman ‘Cho’ Drammeh the Team Manager said preparations are at an advanced stage. “The coach and his team of technicians are working tirelessly to present the best possible team,” he said.
Cho also said that the GFF is working closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the team to be well prepared, noting that plans are underway for the team to camp in Morocco for a couple of days before proceeding to Algeria.
The Gambia is currently bottom of its four-team table with five points from as many matches, levelled on points with Togo, whom they have a better goal difference than but behind them due to the latter’s better head-to-head record. A win in Algeria would see both teams through if Benin and Togo play out a draw. This hypothesis would ensure Algeria finish on top with 10 points while The Gambia and Benin would be levelled on eight points but Tom Saintfiet’s charges would go through because they have a better head-to-head record against Benin.
Saintfiet as Gambia Dream of Maiden AFCON finals
However, there is still the big matter of our appeal lodged against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) after they upheld the earlier decision of the CAF Disciplinary Board who dismissed our protest against the eligibility of Togolese player James Oloufade Adewale. CAF said Togo’s defense was that Mr. Adewale’s double registration in its CMS is due to administrative error and the rules regarding this particular competition are unequivocal where it states: For any administrative error in the registration of players, the national association concerned will be suspended from participation in the next edition of the AFCON, and its team will be eliminated from the competition if the latter is still ongoing.
Consequently, based on the above stated article, if we are to win the case at CAS, then Togo would be suspended for two years and kicked out of the ongoing competition. That would mean that the results of all the three teams in the group would be nullified and then new calculations would be made. This would mean that since Algeria secured two wins against Togo, they would lose Six (4) points and the 5 goals that they scored in the said matches with their solitary conceded goal also nullified. Then, Algeria would have dropped from 10 points to 4 points, 3 goals scored and 2 goals conceded and a goal tally of +1.
Benin have played Togo only once and drew goalless in Lome. As a result, they’d lose a solitary point without having any impact on their goal difference. Thus, they’d have Six (6) points, 3 goals scored and 5 conceded with a goal difference of -2. The Gambia drew and lost to Togo. Thus, we would lose One (1) point and the one goal we scored in Lome. Then our new standing would be Four (4) points, 4 goals scored and 4 conceded with a goal difference of 0.
On this basis, Benin, who are scheduled to play Togo, would’ve exhausted their quarter of games with Algeria hosting the Gambia on 22nd March, 2019. With four points each, Benin wouldn’t be caught by both teams for a win by any side would send that particular team on top with seven points and the loser remains on four points, while a draw would see both of them on five points.
This would mean that if we are to win the appeal, Benin would be through as one of the top two finishers with 6 points. Since we have a better goal difference than Algeria, a minimum score of 1-1 in Algiers would see both of us finishing on five points and the same head-to-head tie (since that was the same score in Banjul) but by the virtue of our better goal difference, we would then finish behind Benin in second and qualify to the Nations Cup. A win for us would then secure us top spot.
If The Gambia were to win the appeal, then all we need is to secure a scoring draw of any margin then we’re through but failure to score and the match ending goalless would mean they would have secured a better head-to-head record against us by the virtue of the fact that they scored in Banjul.
Reporting by Baboucarr Camara & Ebrima Suwareh
Editing by Baboucarr Camara
