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| The Gambia is disqualified for age cheating. Photo taken from Afrikan Soccer shows a 2007 Gambian U-20 team |
The National Sports Council (NSC) has on Monday announced a task-force to investigate The Gambia's disqualification from the U-20 Championship for using overage players.
It has said it will accordingly "take appropriate action" but it is not clear what that means.
The Organising Committee for the Orange Africa U-20 Championship announced earlier in the day it has
disqualified Gambia from the competition after a protest
by Liberia on some players of Gambia during the first leg on 6
April 2014, which Gambia won 1-0."Indeed, Sampierre Mendy, Buba Sanneh, Bubacarr Trawally, Saloum Fall and Ali Sowe were all born in 1994 and are not qualified to participate in the competition reserved for players born on or after 1 January 1995, as stated in a circular dated 2 September 2013 sent to all Member Associations of CAF," CAF said.
"In view of this, Match Number 22 (second leg) Gambia – Liberia scheduled for 25-27 April is canceled, and Liberia has qualified for the next round," it added.
GFF's incompetence
"This clearly shows incompetence of Gambia Football Federation as they were advised on a circular dated
September 2nd 2013 that only players born on 1st January
1995 or after this date are eligible
to play in this championship," says Abdul Aziz Titao Mendy, NSC's Executive Director.
Mendy said the GFF was given expert advice
24 hours before The Gambia vs Liberia game played in April that they
needed to go strictly by the dictates of the CAF circular of September 2,
2013.
An NSC dispatch states that the GFF will be expected to take full
responsibility of their own wrong judgement and act professionally in such
circumstances. "It is also expected that the owners of football will do the
appropriate thing in the interest of the country. The Gambia is definitely
bigger than personal sentiments."
National embarrassment
The NSC has stated that it received the news "with total
consternation."
Written by Modou S. Joof
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