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| A government task force that looked into The Gambia’s age cheating and expulsion from the CAF U20 championship has called for the resignation of entire football Federation executive committee (Photo Credit: Sang Mendy) |
The National
Sports Council, NSC, has called for the sacking of the Gambia Football Federation, GFF’s,
technical director Ebrima Manneh, U20 team manger Saihou Bah and administrative
secretary Baboucarr Jobe.
An NSC task force
that looked into The Gambia’s age-cheating and expulsion from the CAF U20
championship recommended their sacking.
The task force
also recommended that the [entire] GFF executive [committee should] honourably
resign for “failing and embarrassing the nation and losing public trust.”
“In the event the
Executive fails to resign honourably, the NSC should advice Government on the
way forward,” it stated. “In future, the NSC and the GFF need to jointly and
meticulously examine all technical matters to advise each other adequately.”
The report did not contain any new information but noted what earlier
media reports have indicated.
It stated that it found out that the GFF, which
took office on 10th August 2013, registered the Under-20; that the
CAF circular was received when the GFF already assumed office; and that second
vice president and the team manager were advised 24 hours before kickoff that
only players born on or after 1st January 1995 are eligible.
“It was found out
that the first vice president and third vice president all lied to the nation
and tried to shift the blame to the now defunct Normalisation Committee,” the
task force chairperson Lamin King Colley said.
The NSC task force said its recommendations are based on findings supported by the desire to uphold Article 6.2 of the GFF
constitution which states: “Every person and organization involved in the game
of football is obliged to observe the statutes, regulations and the principles
of fair play as well as the principles of loyalty, integrity and
sportsmanship.”
Following an appeal by Liberia over Gambia’s use of ineligible
players during the first leg of the qualifiers in
Monrovia which Gambia won 1-0, the continent’s football governing body, CAF,
announced it has expelled The Gambia.
"Indeed,
Sampere Mendy, Buba Sanneh, Bubacarr Trawally, Saloum Faal and Ali Sowe were
all born in 1994 and are not qualified to participate…,” a CAF organizing
committee agreed on April 21.
‘Incompetence of
GFF'
On April 23, the GFF announced it will invite the
police to investigate the age-cheating saga that led to the country’s expulsion from the U20 qualifiers.
Its President Muatapha Kebbeh said “the police as a professional
investigative body are best suited to probe the matter.” He described the disqualification as a “very sad”. He said they will take up
responsibility as leaders and learn from this incident and take corrective measures.
Earlier, GFF spokesperson Buba ‘Star’ Janneh said Gambia will
protest CAF’s decision - but it appears the suggestion will be forgone if the
executive are compelled to resign or sacked.
Abdul
Aziz Titao Mendy, NSC's Executive Director said: "This [age cheating and
expulsion] clearly shows incompetence of Gambia Football Federation…
“The
GFF will be expected to take full responsibility of their own wrong judgment
and act professionally in such circumstances.”
Written by Modou S. Joof
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