Basiru Mbye is one of the nine players in the team that won the WAFU trophy in Liberia, subsequently left for the Belgium top flight first division team KV Oostende.
He has a club appearance of 19 games this season, 15 games as a starter and 4 from the bench.
The young scorpions’ captain doesn’t need to start in any game to score or assist goals. His goal scoring quality has emerged from any minute having scored 3 goals this season as a substitute.
‘My favorite player is Belgian Mitchy Batshuayi playing for Chelsea. Some even compare my playing style with his’. Basiru has played this season’s pre-season with the first team of KV Oostende and netted 2 goals in 3 games before joining his country team.
This is his second appearance in WAFU U-20 tournament and was the Captain in the first edition in Liberia, having scored and assists in the 4 games he played before lifting the trophy with his teammates in 2018.
Basiru Mbye for Country
Goals – 9
Assist – 3
Country Cap – 7
Sitting right next to each other with his assistant team captain, Matarr Ceesay (Casa Sport, Senegal), the two WAFU U-20 Championship gold medalist shared their moments in Liberia and expectations ahead of the opener on Monday 25th November.
Basiru expressed delighted to be reunited with his teammates describing them as family. ‘I thank the GFF for facilitating my travel from Belgium and reuniting with my boys in the flight at Banjul instead of coming direct to Guinea. It’s a great feeling to see them again, to play for country. We are a family. Fight for each other which is important because that is what takes us far in the tournament’ he said.
Matarr Ceesay said that the spirits are high and everyone is ready physically and with one mission- defend the title. He explained that lifting the trophy for Country in Liberia was one of his biggest memories and would love to have a similar feeling again. ‘It isn’t going to be easy but we believe we can, and with everyone’s support and prayers we will do great’, the ex GAF FC Midfielder echoed.
Both team leaders called on Fans to continue the support and thanked Gambians and the Football Federation for all the efforts made to give them the best preparations ahead of the tournament. ‘Our Coaches have given us all the practice we needed, now it is our turn to do what is expected of us in the tournament and fly back to the smiling coast with the back to back win’ they said.