Sang Mendy
The VIP section of the Independence Stadium was left puzzled when Keagan Dolly blasted his second goal of the night with a screamer that left scorpions’ goalie, Alagie Nyabally helpless. Dolly’s second which was South Africa’s forth in the night triggered a feud among some highly-placed sports personalities.
Thamsanqa Gabuza and Keagan Dolly each had a brace with Gabuza netting his two in the first period and Dolly rounding up the victory with his two in the second period. But it was his second that sparked some sort of argument between Gambia’s all-time best, Alhagie Njie aka Biri and the administrative secretary of the Gambia Football Federation, Abdul Salam Jammeh.
Someone who was close to the two said the feud arouse when the legend, Biri openly expressed his dissatisfaction over the way the boys were dismantled and outclassed before the fourth goals. This according to the man did not go down well with the seasoned administrator who is said to believe that Biri should not condemn the team loudly and openly at the VIP section like he did.
Salam could not stand the argument so he left his VIP seat and move to the other side of the VIP to complete the match some described as shambolic.
Dubbed the defeat of the decade in Gambian football, Sang Ndong’s men were beaten hands down leaving most of the fans frustrated as usual. While those at the covered and uncovered pavilions turned to support the visiting Bafana Bafana’s after their third goal when all the scorpions are seen doing was to chasing shadows, frustration erupted at the VIP section of Independence Stadium after the fourth goal.
It is very common of Gambian fans to turn against their own team once the team is losing and this day wasn’t an exception. The VIP section of the stadium in most cases also does not help when mostly you hear dignitaries shouting at the peak of their voice not in support of the team but expressing dissatisfaction either of the coaches’ choice of players, changes and or the way the team is playing.
Listening to Sang Ndong after the match, he said, “we're all disappointed because the result and performance were both negative.
“We were outplayed and outclassed today.
“We played against a superior team and we were asked a lot of questions that we couldn't answer.
“Look at the levels, comparing both teams South Africa is a bigger team but yet we could've done better.
We got our aims and objectives since Day One.
“Our objective is to rebuild, rebrand and to try and integrate this national team back with the public.”
Going by the above quotes from the coach, and what happened on Saturday, June 4, 2016 and previously, it appears the GFF and its partners must embark on a massive sensitization on their approach to rebuild and rebrand.