Alhagie OB Conateh, the chairman of the normalization committee set to regularize Gambian football has vowed that he will not use his influence to keep Wallidan in the first division. The veteran sportsman and sports administrator made these remarks after watching his club relegate to the second tier of Gambian football.
Wallidan lost 1-0 young Africans in week twenty-one of the GFA division one on Sunday; a result that saw Wallidan doomed for the second division. With romours circulating around town that the normalization committee might increase the number of teams to 14 or more, the chairman of the normalization committee remains adamant that it will not be his influence that there is an increase.
He said: “we are normalizing football in this country and we will look into what is necessary. If the normalization committee deems it fit to increase the number of teams, then we will. But it will not be my influence.”
Fueling the debate, the veteran sportsman opined that at one time the number of teams was increased from 10-12 so why not.
In the same vein the Mr. Conateh agreed that they have themselves to be blamed for relegating and must use it as a footballing lesson. “We have to blame ourselves for not doing what we are supposed to do and we should pay the price.” It would be recalled that Wallidan has been in the first division for 39years without any threats of playing second tier football.
He however, warned all clubs to take their league matches seriously citing that for the past four years every year a big club relegate to the second division.