Gambia national football team
| |||
Nickname(s) | The Scorpions | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Gambia Football Federation | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||
Head coach | Tom Saintfiet | ||
Captain | Pa Modou Jagne | ||
Home stadium | Independence Stadium | ||
FIFA code | GAM | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current |
171 | ||
Highest | 65 (June 2009) | ||
Lowest | 179 (March 2017) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current |
142 | ||
Highest | 93 (January 1984) | ||
Lowest | 145 (22 November 1993) | ||
First international | |||
(Gambia; 5 December 1962) | |||
Biggest win | |||
(Banjul, Gambia; 12 October 2002) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
(Guinea; 14 May 1972) |
The Gambia national football team, nicknamed The Scorpions, is the national team of the Gambia and is controlled by the Gambia Football Federation. Until 1965, the team and the country, were known as British Gambia. It has never qualified for the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
History
Under the name British Gambia, the team played their first ever game on 5 December 1962, beating neighbouring Senegal 3–2 at home in a friendly. In April 1963, the team entered the L'Amitié tournament in Senegal, a competition mainly for French-speaking nations. They were drawn in a group with France's amateur team, the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Gabon. Their first match was lost 5–1 to the French amateurs on 11 April. The Gambia drew 2–2 with the Upper Volta on 13 April, and had the same result the very next day versus Gabon. The Gambia did not advance to the next round.
After the tournament in Senegal, the Gambia did not play another match until 16 November 1968, when they travelled to Sierra Leone to play its team in a friendly and lost 2–1. They played again in Sierra Leone in the Gambia's next match on 24 April 1971, and the hosts won 3–1. On 2 May 1971 the Gambia travelled to Guinea for a friendly and lost 4–2. On 14 May 1972, the Gambia returned to Guinea for their first African Games qualifier and lost 8–0 and were knocked out.
In 1975, the Gambia entered its first qualification campaign for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. They were drawn in a qualifier against Guinea, and lost the first leg 1–0 at home on 27 April 1975. The second leg was lost 6–0 in Guinea on 1 June as Guinea advanced 7–0 on aggregate.
In August 1975, the Gambia entered their first qualification for the African Cup of Nations, with the aim of reaching the 1976 finals in Ethiopia. They were drawn in a two-legged qualifier against Morocco and lost the first leg 3–0 away on 10 August. They lost by the same score in their home leg on 24 August and Morocco advanced 6–0 on aggregate.
After the qualification campaign for the 1976 finals, the Gambia played their first match against a full European side, losing a home friendly 4–1 to Denmark on 30 January 1977.[1]
The Gambia's most famous player is Biri Biri, who starred for Sevilla in the 1970s.
In May 2014, The Gambia was banned from all CAF competitions for two years after deliberately falsifying players' ages.[2]
Home stadium
Independence Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bakau, Gambia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, although it is also used for music concerts, political events, trade fairs and national celebrations. The stadium holds 30,000 people.[3]
Match record
Gambia Football Achievements
- Amilcar Cabral Cup :
- 3 Times Runners-up
World Cup record
FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||
Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | ||||||||||
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
Total | 0/21 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 35 |
Africa Cup of Nations record
- 1957 to 1974 – Did not enter
- 1976 – Did not qualify
- 1978 – Did not enter
- 1980 to 1988 – Did not qualify
- 1990 – Withdrew
- 1992 – Did not qualify
- 1994 – Did not enter
- 1996 – Withdrew during qualifying
- 1998 – Banned for withdrawing in 1996
- 2000 – Withdrew
- 2002 to 2013 – Did not qualify
- 2015 – Banned
- 2017 – Did not qualify
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
Gambia were drawn in the first qualifying round against Namibia and were eliminated following a 1–1 draw[4] in Banjul and 1–2 defeat[5] in Windhoek.
Gambia | 1–1 | |
---|---|---|
Jammeh |
Report (FIFA) Report (CAF) |
Stephanus |
Namibia | 2–1 | |
---|---|---|
Stephanus Somaeb |
Report (FIFA) Report (CAF) |
Dibba |
Namibia won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the second round against Guinea.
Recent results and forthcoming fixtures
15 July 2017 2018 CHANQ | Gambia | 0–0 | Bakau, Gambia | |
16:30 UTC±0 | Report | Stadium: Independence Stadium Referee: Babacar Sarr (Mauritania) |
22 July 2017 2018 CHANQ | Mali | 4–0 (4–0 agg.) | Bamako, Mali | |
17:00 UTC±0 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stade Modibo Kéïta Referee: Nabil Boukhalfa (Algeria) |
9 September 2017 2017 WAFU Nations Cup 1st round | Ghana | 1–0 | Cape Coast, Ghana | |
15:00 GMT |
|
Report | Stadium: Cape Coast Sports Stadium Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso) |
23 March 2018 Friendly | Gambia | 1–1 | Bakau, Gambia | |
19:00 (GMT) | Ceesay |
Report | Kéthévoama |
Stadium: Independence Stadium Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal) |
8 September 2018 2019 AFCONQ | Gambia | 1–1 | Bakau, Gambia | |
16:30 (GMT) | Ceesay |
Report | Bounedjah |
Stadium: Independence Stadium Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Youssef Essrayri (Tunisia) |
12 October 2018 2019 AFCONQ | Togo | 1–1 | Lomé, Togo | |
16:00 (GMT) | Denkey |
Report | Ceesay |
Stadium: Stade Municipal Referee: Antoine Effa (Cameroon) |
16 October 2018 2019 AFCONQ | Gambia | v | Bakau, Gambia | |
16:30 (GMT) | Report | Stadium: Independence Stadium Referee: Helder Martins de Carvalho (Angola) |
17 November 2018 2019 AFCONQ | Gambia | v | Bakau, Gambia | |
16:30 (GMT) | Report | Stadium: Independence Stadium |
22 March 2019 2019 AFCONQ | Algeria | v | Algeria | |
Report |
Coaching staff
Former national team goalkeeper and national team head coach Sang Ndong was re-appointed into the role of head coach in February 2016.[6][7] He has also spent time as technical director with the GFF previously and has stepped in as interim coach of the Scorpions on several occasions in the past. His appointment was a show of support for local coaches and introduced a process of rebuilding and rebranding the national team.[8][9]
Head Coach | |
Assistant Coach | |
Goalkeeping Coach | |
Team Doctor | |
Physiotherapist | |
Equipment Manager | |
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for a series of friendlies matches on 23 March 2018 against Central African Republic.[10]
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Modou Jobe | October 27, 1988 | 7 | 0 | |||
18 | GK | Baboucarr Gaye | February 24, 1998 | 0 | 0 | |||
GK | Alagie Nyabally | November 15, 1991 | 5 | 0 | ||||
DF | Simon Richter | January 16, 1985 | 1 | 0 | ||||
4 | MF | Dawda Ngum | September 2, 1990 | 2 | 0 | |||
3 | DF | Bubacarr Sanneh | November 14, 1994 | 7 | 0 | |||
DF | Omar Colley (Captain) | October 24, 1992 | 10 | 0 | ||||
12 | DF | Mamadou Danso | April 27, 1983 | 11 | 1 | |||
DF | Gregory Sambou | October 25, 1994 | 6 | 0 | ||||
9 | DF | Pa Modou Jagne | December 26, 1989 | 24 | 1 | |||
6 | MF | Sulayman Marreh | January 15, 1996 | 11 | 0 | |||
MF | Alasana Manneh | August 4, 1998 | 0 | 0 | ||||
5 | MF | Tijan Jaiteh | December 31, 1988 | 15 | 1 | |||
MF | Hamza Barry | October 15, 1994 | 11 | 0 | ||||
8 | MF | Ebou Adams | January 15, 1996 | 1 | 0 | |||
19 | MF | Mustapha Carayol | September 4, 1988 | 4 | 2 | |||
8 | MF | Ebrima Colley | February 1, 2000 | 0 | 0 | |||
15 | MF | Ebrima Sohna | December 14, 1988 | 18 | 1 | |||
FW | Modou Barrow | October 3, 1992 | 6 | 0 | ||||
7 | FW | Lamin Jallow | December 18, 1995 | 4 | 0 | |||
17 | FW | Ablie Jallow | November 14, 1998 | 0 | 0 | |||
11 | FW | Assan Ceesay | March 17, 1994 | 5 | 1 | |||
13 | FW | Musa Barrow | 14 November 1998 | 0 | 0 |
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for Gambia in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DF | Amando Aust | April 23, 1990 | 1 | 0 | vs. | |||
MF | Raymond Mendy | July 1, 1996 | 0 | 0 | vs. | |||
MF | Dawda Ceesay | January 25, 1993 | 0 | 0 | vs. | |||
FW | Bubacarr Trawally | November 10, 1994 | 4 | 0 | vs. | |||
FW | Muhammed Badamosi | December 27, 1998 | 0 | 0 | vs. | |||
FW | Yusupha Njie | January 3, 1994 | 0 | 0 | vs. |
- RET = Retired from international football.
References
- ↑ "Gambia – List of International Matches". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
- ↑ "The Gambia disqualified from all Caf competitions". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
- ↑ "Namibia secured a 1–1 draw away to Gambia". kickoff.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
- ↑ "Warriors beat Gambia to setup Guinea clash". nbc.na. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ↑ "Former international Sang Ndong named new Gambia coach". bbc.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ "Gambia Reappoints Sang Ndong National Team Coach". observer.gm. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ↑ "Scorpions Coach on Mauritania Game". observer.gm. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ↑ "Scorpions Coach Appeals For Support in Rebuilding Process". observer.gm. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ↑ "Gambia call-up squad for CAR friendly". gambiasports.com.
External links
- GFF Official federation website