Senior Scorpions Arrives in Germany to Face Mexico

• Posted by Modou S. Joof on May 31, 2010 at 10:57pm
• View Modou S. Joof's blog

Banjul, The Gambia (TNBES) The Senior Scorpions of The Gambia are reportedly camped in the Arvena Kongress Hotel in the German Community of Bayreuth to face South American giants, Mexico in a friendly encounter scheduled to take place in Germany on 30th May 2010.

As GRTS Dodou Bojang reports from Bayreuth, Coach Paul put and his lads on Friday 28th May 2010 settled down in the Arvena Kongress Hotel in the German Community of Bayreuth, which is three hours from Munchen Airport.

The national team flew in from Banjul via Brussels to take on world cup bound Mexico in a football friendly scheduled for Sunday 30th May 2010 at 17:30 German time, which will be 1530GMT in The Gambia.

Seventeen (17) players are already in camp and Norwegian base Tijan Jaiteh of Bran is expected to join his compatriots later on Friday. The team had its first training session on Friday with a quite but encouraging spirit. Captain Pa Dembo Touray of Djurgerden is expected to lead The Gambian team against a Mexican side that lost last week by 3-1 to the Three Lions of England.

The Sweden based skipper earned a call back to the national team in 2010 during a friendly international against 2010 Nation’s Cup host Angola after a seven-year absence as he was over-looked by subsequent coaches of the Scorpions after the team’s disappointing display in the 2003 African Nation Cup qualifiers.

However, having regained his form and earning himself a leadership role with his Swedish club Djurgerden, Gambia’s Belgian Coach Paul Put gave him another chance for him to shape-up. He has been one of the longest serving national team players.

Mexico is in the same group with world cup host South Africa, France and Uruguay and is taking on Gambia in their preparations for the game’s biggest tournament starting 11th June 2010.

The Gambian team in preparation for the 2012 African Cup qualifiers later this year having failed to qualify for the African nations and world cup after being held to a 1-1 draw by arch rivals Senegal in the final outing of the first round of the joint African Nation and World Cup qualifiers in 2009.

The 17 players reported to have been camped in Germany include Pa Dembo Touray, Musa Camara, Abdou Njie, Ebrima Sohna, Abdou Jammeh, Momodou Danso, Omar Jawo, Pa Saikou Kujabi, Alagie Sosseh, Mustapha Jarju, Momodou Ceesay, Ousman Jallow, Njogu Demba, Ebrima Sawaneh, Cherno Samba, Abdou Darbo and Lamin Conateh.

Bayreuth has a population of 80 to 100, 000 while the stadium hosting the game has a capacity of 3, 500.