Nowadays, most young people focus more on the football academies, and this is all geared towards building the raw talent in our young players.
The Gambia Football Association (GFA) technical department should now take it up to scout for players in the local football academies, as this would greatly help the GFA in selecting players for the Under 17, U20 and U23 national teams.
It is also incumbent upon the Gambia Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to make sure that football academies in the country are properly registered and run, as this is important for the development of our football.
The academies should be managed by people who have the technical knowhow and the experience in the game of football, if we have to achieve the desired goal to move our football forward as a country .
We should not leave the academies to be managed by anyone who wants to set up an academy without even understanding the basic principles of football.
The football academies serve as a foundation where young people will develop their talent in the game, and should not be allowed to be abused.
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It is high time for the football authorities in the country to start certifying organized academies, as this would help our football and put it in good shape.
Former national team players, and even professional players, should be encouraged by the government to establish academies in the country.
If these structures are available and well managed, it would help league clubs to have good players, and earn most of our young players’ careers at the professional level.
When foreign scouts visit and buy our players , this could bring in a lot of foreign exchange to the country, and benefit the country’s economy and Gambian families as well.
