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| Normalisation Own Goal: Such doubts were seen to be forthcoming and had they gone to press as did the contradictions from the normalisation, would have had chilling effect on the committee, or didn’t it? (Photo Credit: Total Football) |
The story referred to comments by
Alhagie Sillah, head of the GFF normalisation committee saying: “CAF has
assured The Gambia of its support to the development of football in the
country, as the normalisation committee announced what it called the partial
lifting of the suspension imposed on the country.”
The news spread so fast to the shock of
football fans and certain stakeholders who asked, so what? If indeed the
suspension is “partially lifted” for the country to play friendlies, how has
that add to our already “foregone conclusions” that we can never take part in
competitive soccer, at least, not in this ongoing CAF AFCON qualifiers for
2015.
When
the news was being dissect and given critical thoughts in every nook and
cranny, a local human rights journalist who has little or no interest in
soccer, told me: “But I have read articles on the ban and they never suggested
the country was banned from playing test matches. Media reports only indicated
the country was banned from international competitions.”
Such
doubts were seen to be forthcoming and had they gone to press as did the
contradictions from the normalisation, would have had chilling effect on the
committee, or didn’t it?
 |
| Hon. Alhagie Sillah (Photo: Daily Observer) |
Sillah (Hon), a national assembly member, said in his statement the partial lifting of the ban came as a result of his visit to Algeria where he had a meeting with senior CAF and FIFA executive members, according to the report.
But the Committee was compelled to react
to its chairman’s statement, dismissing the partial lifting of the ban in a
carefully-worded statement published 48 hours later.
‘Normalisation Committee clears the air’, a facebook post
stated.
The counter-statement indicated that the
Committee seeks to clarify an earlier release published in the local media on
Tuesday that CAF had partially lifted the two-year football suspension imposed
on The Gambia.
Though it noted that it had engaged CAF and FIFA officials to ensure the ban is lifted, it said: “So far, negotiations were still ongoing.”
Though it noted that it had engaged CAF and FIFA officials to ensure the ban is lifted, it said: “So far, negotiations were still ongoing.”
“…this means that neither a partial nor
full lifting of the ban has been reached,” the journalist observed. “So who is
fooling who?”
In his opinion, since we have compelled
ourselves to live in normalisation, at least, till September 20 according to
media reports, the Committee must work to ensure free, fair and transparent
elections. We should not try to bring false impression – we should just work to
do things as they should be to level the ground for competitive elections, he
added.
Having
had a remarkable achievement at youth level, though with suspicion from
competing sister countries, The Gambia was disqualified by the Confederation of
African Football, CAF, from the U-20 Championship for fielding ineligible
players.
CAF’s
decision on April 21 came after Liberia’s FA protest over Gambia’s use of
over-aged players during the first leg of the qualifiers in Monrovia which
Gambia won 1-0.
The
West African country was further handed a two-year ban over different dates of
birth for one of the players identified by Liberia as ineligible.
The
result, another normalisation this time appointed by football’s world governing
body, FIFA, just a few months after Gambian football emerged from a two-year
normalisation process.
So
has it suffered from normalisation, yes would be the answer for many football
lovers because in the ensuing period nothing has been achieved if not for a
Constitution.
“Gambian
football has suffered from normalization for two years, and then we came into
office for less than a year and now a normalization committee again,” ousted
GFF president Mustapha Kebbeh, who expressed doubt in the credibility of the
committee, lamented in August 2014.
“But
it is not only football that has suffered; the holders of positions have also
suffered. They have been sent to prison though not convicted of any crimes,”
the journalist said.
“However,
when such contradicting statements go to press quite often as we do not expect,
it would have negative implication on the credibility of the normalisation
committee.”
Written by Modou S. Joof
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