Choro Mbenga: Crouch's departure a big lost

Choro Mbenga, the Head Coach of Red Scorpions in the country's top flight female football, who led the team to an impressive league standing, finishing second in last year's female Division One League Championship has described the departure of Fatou Kinneh Jeng, alias Crouch as a big loss for the team.

Crouch, as she is widely known due to her spectacular goal scoring abilities, coupled with her individual brilliance help Red-Scorpions secured second place, finishing behind Interior last season's champions, is currently in the United Kingdom where she is expected to pursue her education.

She became the club's leading scorer and eventually earned a place in the country's first-ever female national squad. She was an integral part of The Gambia national female team that secured an impressive 6-nil, thrashing a regional selection in Ziguinchorr, Cassamance in the build- up to the West Africa Football Union Championship in Nigeria (WAFU), which has been called off.

Crouch's departure, according to the former Red Scorpions goalkeeper, who has occasionally expressed her desire to help the team achieve great results, would leave a vacuum in the team. Mbenga was, however, quick to admit that there are young female players who can add more stamina in the forward line in the absence of Peter Crouch.

"Crouch is a type of player who will be difficult to replace, considering her contribution during her three-year stint with Red Scorpions. But I believe, we have a lot of quality and young talented players who can bring glory for Red Scorpion this season," Mbenga told Pointsport in an interview.

The offensive-minded female star, who still remains under Red Scorpions' contract, is understood to have left the country last week for the United Kingdom to pursue her education.

During her three-year spell with the club that has brought the best out of her since signing the contract three years ago, Crouch has been so much instrumental in Red Scorpions success, scoring a good number of goals for the club.

She is one of the best known female players the country has ever produced and will be greatly missed in the Gambian football because she was a household name in the country's top flight female football, who guided Red Scorpions to many successes before her departure.