The Gambia national football team is gearing up for another potential surprise in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations finals, aiming to replicate their previous success when they made it to the quarter-finals of the 2021 edition in Cameroon. The 34th edition of the continent’s premier football championship will be held in Côte d’Ivoire from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
Gambia is placed in the so-called ‘group of death’ which includes strong teams such as the reigning champions Senegal, third-place Cameroon and Guinea. The Gambia Football Federation was founded in 1952, joined the African Federation in 1966, and two years later became a member of FIFA (FIFA). The federation is currently headed by Lamin Kaba Bajo.
The national team played its first international match against Sierra Leone on February 9, 1953, securing a 3-2 victory. Gambia’s debut participation in the Africa Cup of Nations was in 2021 where they reached the quarter-finals, only to be defeated by Cameroon with two clean goals. In previous iterations of the Africa Cup of Nations, the ‘Scorpions’ endured years of failing to qualify, withdrawing, and being barred from participating.
In the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea, the Gambian team was prevented from competing due to the local federation fielding five overage players in the under-20 Africa Cup of Nations. However, Gambia made an impressive first appearance in the finals in 2021, reaching the quarter-finals and scoring four goals while conceding three.
During their first participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, Gambia made it to the quarter-finals after beating Guinea with a goal by Musa Barrow, the Bologna striker, assisted by Yusupha Bob, a midfielder for Piacenza. Some of the prominent former Gambian players include Mamadou Ceesay (16 matches, 6 goals), Omar Samba (11 matches, 5 goals), Gatto Ceesay (17 matches, 5 goals), and Ablie Jallow (28 matches, 7 goals).
The current Gambian squad features players active in European and Arab clubs such as Omar Colley from Turkish side Beşiktaş (49 international caps), Yankuba Jarju from Dutch club Feyenoord, and Musa Barrow, a striker for Saudi club Al-Taawoun (5 goals in 32 international caps). Currently, Assan Ceesay, a player for Damac in Saudi Arabia, leads Gambia’s all-time top scorers list with 13 goals in 36 international matches.
Since July 18, 2018, Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet has been at the helm for Gambia, leading the ‘Scorpions’ to a historic qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations 2021, after topping Group D in the qualifying stages with 10 points. Under his leadership, Gambia has scored 40 goals and conceded 29. Now at 50, the coach is leveraging his extensive experience and knowledge of African football to repeat the 2021 feat in Côte d’Ivoire.
Saintfiet, who has previously coached Qatar’s under-17 national team, has managed several African national teams including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Togo. Gambia’s upcoming matches in Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 are as follows:
– Monday, January 15: Senegal vs. Gambia (Charles de Gaulle Stadium)
– Thursday, January 18: Guinea vs. Gambia (Charles de Gaulle Stadium)
– Tuesday, January 23: Cameroon vs. Gambia (Stade de la Paix)
