GPA eye spot in CAF Champions league group phase

The Gambia’s league champions Gambia Ports Authority are eyeing a place in the group phase of the 2017 CAF Champions league after being paired with Ivoirians vice champions in the continent’s annual football clubs championship.

The Gambian champions are set to clash with the Ivorian vice-champions Sewe Sports in the continent’s elite football club competition preliminaries round next month in Banjul and Abidjan respectively.

The Gambian champions are hoping for positive results in Banjul and Abidjan to increase their chances of reaching the group stage of the continent’s top-tier football club competition for the first time in their history. No Gambian clubs have reached the group stage in the last decades.

The ferry boys, under the guidance of the country’s high-profile and experienced tactician Alagie Sarr, are being prepared to be fit physically and morally for their crunch double-leg clash with the Ivorian vice champions to reach the group phase for the first time in their history in the continent’s elite football club competition.

The current Gambian league champions Gambia Ports Authority are 4th place in the country’s top flight with 8 points in five league fixtures four points behind league leaders Real De Banjul with twelve points in five games, three points behind second spot Gambia Armed Forces with 11 points in five games and two points behind third place Hawks with 10 points in five league matches.

The Ivorian vice champions Sewe Sports are third place in the Ivorian top flight with 13 points in seven league matches two points behind current league leaders ASEC Mimosa, who have bagged 15 points in seven league fixtures and are trailing second spot African Sports on goal difference.