Nothingham Forest popular winger Mustapha
Carayol is a massive addition to the current Scorpions team for the upcoming
AFCON qualifiers.
The former Swindon Town starlet has been a
fundamental part of the Scorpions preparation for the qualifiers.
Carayol has quickly adapted to the
Scorpions playing style and delivered moments of individual brilliance.
He has fantastically combined with
teammates like Modou Barrow, Lamin Jallow and Babucarr Steve Trawally, in the
Scorpions attacking formation.
He was an outstanding member of Scorpions
side that recently concluded a weeklong international tour to Morocco and
Central Africa Republic, where they held series of friendly matches in the
build-up to the Caf and Fifa preliminary qualifier tournaments.
Pundits believed Carayol is fundamental
because The Gambia’s hope of making it to the 2019 Nations Cup final for the
first time is based on players with his kind of experience and qualities.
And it appears they are getting their
predictions right when Carayol responded with a brilliant goal in Scorpions 2-1
win against Central Africa Republic a fortnight ago.
He controlled the ball from a near post
after some great piece or artwork with highly-rated attackers, Lamin Jallow and
Modou Barrow.
Within seconds on the clock, the former
Middleborough star nodded home a fine finish, and secured a deserved 2-1 win
for the Scorpions on the bound.
That magnificent doubler was Carayol’s
first international strike since he scored a spectacular solo goal in a 1-1
draw with Mauritania, at Stade Olympique Stadium in Nouakchott, last year, only
a year after making his Scorpions debut in a 1-1 draw against Uganda in 2015.
Carayol’s goals have further boosted
Gambia’s hope of going into the Africa Nations Cup qualifier match against
Benin, in great shape and confidence.
He made up his mind to feature for The
Gambia in 2015, several years after he turned down the initial request to play
for his native country.
Gambia’s closest neighbor Senegal, the
birthplace of Carayol’s mother, once persuaded the industrious attacker to play
for the Teranga Lions.
But he rejected the offer in favour of The
Gambia’s Scorpions with whom he has remained a fan favourite.
Carayol, who holds a British passport, had
spells with several English football clubs including Crawley Town, Torquay
United, Kettering town, Lincoln City, Brington & Hove Albion, Huddersfield
town and Middleborough.
He signed his first professional contact with
Milton Keynes Don in 2007, after graduating through Swinton Town youth team,
and was sent on loan at six different clubs.
Carayol, nicknamed Muzzy, joined Boro from
Bristol Rovers in a fee believed to be at the region of £250.000 in 2013.
While at the London club, the 5 fit 11inch
attacker found his playing time difficult to come by and eventually became
surplus to requirement under former coach Aitor Karanka, who once hailed the
contribution of the impressive winger.
He left Boro for Brington & Hove Albion
and then on loan at Huddersfield town and Leeds United, as he continues
searching for regular playing time.
He has many Scorpions caps under his belt,
and would look to cement his place in coach Sang Ndong’s team for the 2019
Africa Nations Cup qualifiers.
The Gambia is drawn in group D of the
qualifiers with Tunisia, Benin and Algeria, as the battle to qualify for the
continent’s biggest football tournament draws nearer.
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