Tom Saintfiet has called a 25-man squad for Gambia’s training camp in Dubai and an international friendly with New Zealand on November 16.
This will be the final camp before the pre-AFCON training camp ahead of the biannual continental showpiece event. The delayed AFCON gets underway in Cameroon on January 9 with debutants Gambia grouped against Tunisia, Mali and Mauritania.
Two players missed out from the group that participated in last month’s camp in Morocco in Modou Barrow and Bubacarr Jobe for quarantine rules and work permit issues respectively. Hamza Barry remains a long-term absence as he continues his recovery from a serious injury.
In their places is the return of FC Spezia’s wing wizard Ebrima Colley who recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the aforesaid camp. Colley is in great form for his Italian Serie A side and his inclusion will offer the Belgian a lot of pace and trickery on the right side of midfield. Mohammed Mbye has also been recalled The Saint.
The All Whites, twice World Cup finalists in 1982 and 2010 in South Africa, are 111 on the current FIFA Rankings, 36 places above The Gambia who are 147. They are hoping to make another appearance in Qatar in 2022.
