GFA to Recommend Foreign Coaches to Government

Kinteh Has Been Elected for another Four-Year Term

Banjul, The Gambia (TNBES) The President of The Gambia Football Association (GFA), Mr. Seedy M.B. Kinteh has stated that they will identify and recommend to the government the appointment of foreign coaches for the U17 and the U20 national teams.
Kinteh was delivering his acceptance speech after he has had been elected as the president of the FA for a second four year term. He appeal to the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sport for the construction of at least three modern stadia to help improve the standard of the game and also enable the country to host future CAF and FIFA tournaments.

The re-elected president outline their plans for the 2010 and beyond, which according to him, the Football Association (FA) would ensure the participation of the U17, U20, U23, Female national team and the senior national team regional tournaments and to qualify and win the championships in 2012.
“The FA will also strengthen the secretariat by appointing supporting staff and appoint technical and administrative staff at the regional office in Mansa Konko for the efficient and effective service delivery,” he said.
According to him, the FA will rehabilitate the National Technical Training Centre in Yundum to make it fully operational, provide training and accommodation facilities to all categories of our national teams and to all leagues.
In his marathon statement he said: “After given the clear mandate to run the affairs of football in The Gambia, the former Executive Committee under worked in earnest by putting in place various sub-committees for the good of the game.
He cited that all the sub-committees performed satisfactorily and made significant contribution to the successful running of football over the past four years. The Organizing Committee he added was charged with the responsibility of organizing all GFA Competitions throughout the season.
He said the committee had been meeting to ratify results of previous matches and take disciplinary measures against any organization or individual found wanting. The Referees Committee according to him provided invaluable services in training, selection, designation and supervision of referees.
He said many complaints have come to the committee about the decisions which are unusual but the chairman and his team will address the issue of performance and try to improve in the season.
On the Technical Committee he pointed out that the absence of a Technical Director in the FA rendered the coordination and planning of their work extremely difficult.
He conceded that they are aware of the important role of the technical director in the development of football and assured the gathering that arrangements are in advance stage for the appointment of the technical director and some coaches in the near future.
For the Marketing Committee he said that they ushered a new approach to football marketing in The Gambia, they worked diligently and put in place a system that has recorded and unprecedented amount of support to football by the government, private sector and the general public.
The Female Football Committee has recorded tremendous success in the organization of the female league and the FA Cup competitions. Another landmark he said, was the development of the Female National Team with players from every region of the country and the appointment of the first National Female Coach for the female squad.
The infrastructural development highlighted were the construction of the D8 million Administration Building at Kanifing East Estate, which served as the secretariat of the Gambia Football Association (GFA) thanks to the development initiatives of the FIFA President Mr. Joseph Sepp Blatter under a goal project.
Another milestone in the drive to bring the game to the people was the construction of the artificial turf in Brikama by the world governing body of football (FIFA) to the tune of over eight D8 million dalasis under the goal project.
Kinteh further inform the gathering that FIFA has approved the construction of yet another artificial turf at the national technical centre in Yundum for the training of the national teams, league clubs, and visiting teams and for the technical training courses.
“As part of the policy, objectives and strategies to organize, promote and develop all forms of football in The Gambia, the FA organizes at least five leagues and another competition throughout the country.”
On the international scene, Kinteh said The Gambia over the past four years, qualified and participated in four major tournament organized by FIFA and CAF.
He reminded the gathering that the U17 team was invited to a triangular tournament in Egypt and won the tournament with defeat over the Ivory Coast, Tunisia and the host Egypt. The baby scorpion in 2007 took part in another peace tournament in Ivory Coast and emerged as the winners and also won all the prizes on the offer at the Pepsi International Academy Tournament in Nigeria in 2009.
According to him, sponsorship packages for the league are in high gear to secure a much needed and a highly anticipated package for the league. “The national league will soon enjoy lucrative price money and other initiatives. The sponsorship deal if goes as planned will be signed before the end of the first round of the league,” he revealed.
On Youth and Academy Football, he noted that the FA have successfully staged its first Inter-Academy Tournament for clubs in the Greater Banjul Area and plan to give this pilot project a nationwide coverage in 2010 and to serve as a springboard for young players in to the Junior National teams.
According to him, another milestone on female football was the week long Basic Coaching Course for Female Coaches in June 2008 at the National Technical Training Centre in Yundum.
“Considering the importance my administration attaches to the training, we have submitted to FIFA an application for courses for Female Football Coaches in February 2010. The FA organizes advanced training courses for male football coaches in 2007 and 2008 respectively,” he said.
According to him, they have established bilateral cooperation with what he called a renowned Training Institutions in Europe for the training and attachment of coaches to the United Kingdom. “The coming months will witness the education and cultural exchange between our coaches and coaches from Great Britain, he revealed.
He concluded by thanking the delegates for the confidence and trust bestowed on him to usher Gambian football to an amazing height, while noting that it is a great challenge, he said: “Am confident that with support and prayers my Executive and my humble self will live to expectation.” VOL:2 ISSN:7