The
Gambia are eyeing their first-ever Africa Cup Nations appearance when the race
for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers kicks off later this year.
The
Gambia have never qualified for the continent’s biggest football fiesta since
its inception in 1957, and came very close to qualifying for their first Africa
Cup of Nations in 2010 hosted by Angola, but missed qualification berth due to
CAF mathematical calculation.
The
Gambia have been paired with Algeria, Togo and Benin in group D of the 2019
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and will begin their qualifier campaign
against Benin in June 2017, in Porto-Novo before hosting Algeria in their
second game in September 2017, in Banjul.
Gambia
will play against Togo in March 2018 in Lome and Banjul respectively before
welcoming Benin in October 2018.
The
Gambia will wrap up their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers away to Algeria
in November 2018.
The
Scorpions under the guidance of coach Sang Ndong will use the next four months
to prepare his team fit enough for their crucial qualifiers against Algeria,
Togo and Benin for a place in the continent’s biggest football gala for the
first time in their history.
Only
group winners, three best losers and the host nation Cameroon will play the
finals in 2019.
It
would be recalled that coach Sang Ndong replaced Raoul Savoy as head coach of
the Gambia national team following their elimination from the 2018 World Cup
qualifiers against Namibia.
