Female Scorpions near return to international fold

The Gambia Women’s National team is set to return to the international fold in three weeks’ time with a friendly match against Cape Verde, ahead of the 2018 qualifiers next year.

The team continued its preparation for the all-important match with a 1-0 win over a ‘local selection’ side last Friday, played at the National technical training centre in Yundum.

The Gambia will first horn their skills against a visiting Cape Verde national side later on 26 August at the Independence Stadium before setting their sights on the 2018 qualifiers, which will start on 26 February.

Head Coach Mariama Sowe said: “The team is in good shape now following three months of training, and we are ready to bring back women’s football into the limelight.

“What we need is to continue working hard and take a long-term approach to planning for the Africa Nations Cup qualifiers next year from this coming test match with Cape Verde.”

She is currently working with 36 players at the National Technical Training centre in Yundum five days a week and is expected to trim down the number to 18 players in the coming two weeks for the friendly.

The team has to build on a 5-1 hammering to Casa Sports Women’s team over a year ago at the Soma mini-stadium, where Adama Tamba bagged a hat-trick, with Mbassey Darboe and Penda Bah adding to the emphatic score-line.