Our week ending ( Thursday) Scorpions profile segment is featuring Scorpions Number 2 Goal Keeper and Virtus Verona save hands Sheikh Sibi.
Born in Talliding to a Gambian mother and Mauritanian father, Sheikh 22 moved to Gunjur (West Coast Region) at his tender age where he grew up under his grand parents. And as every Gambian child will have it, the 1998 born took up playing in the streets during his sojourn in Kombo South. His passion for football trailed him to joined the community football (Nawettan) with Gunjur’s top local side.
He eventually returned to his native Tallinding to be much closer to Banjul where he attends school but alongside playing between the sticks as Goal keeper for Istanbul United in the neighborhood. He led the side from the Qualifiers to the League in the club’s first appearnce at the local Nawettan.
He would continue training with Football Hero Academy FC during their season break period to hone his skills ahead of the resumption of the much loved Nawettan at Sere Kunda East.
His pursuits propelled him to join Tallinding United FC at GFF League Div 2 where he further helped the second tier side to their promotion to League One side and played active football for the local side for a season finishing at mid table.
Sheikh took to the Mediterranean waters and sailed through the perilous boats for “greener pastures” reaching Italy safely after five days of cruising the dangerous routes to a safe shore in Lampedusa.
He later moved to Verona before proceeding to Borgo Venezia to catch the attention of Virtus Verona who noticed him as a potential young goal keeper giving him chance to relive his dreams of becoming a professional Goal keeper. Sheikh spent a year training with the clubs before officially Verona on October 1, 2016.
The 1.85m high goalie helped the club gain promotion from Serie D to the Third Tier of Italian Football and in the process he was voted as the club’s youngest player. The Gambian idolized Italian great goalkeeper Buffon and is hoping to follow his foot steps by playing in top European professional championship.
Plagued by injuries last season condemning him to minimal appearance but he is hoping to overcome those tough times and start the year camping on a high note after starting in all the clubs preseason matches. Virtus Verona will kick start their season away to Imolese on Sunday 10 October, 2020.
The right footed goalkeeper has once again made it into Coach Tom Sainfiet’s 40 man provisional list for the Scorpions week long training camp in Portugal. Sheikh is a regular in Tom Saintfiet’s list coming closely behind his number One Modou Jobe (Toldo). He will be hoping not only to make into the final 23 man squad but also looking forward to making his debut for The Gambia after watching from the bench in the previous matches.