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Gambia brace up for AFCON qualifiers against S/Africa

May 20, 2015, 11:52 AM | Article By: Lamin Darboe

The Gambia will clash with Uganda in an international friendly match on 9 June 2015 in Kampala four days before their 2017 African Nations Cup qualifiers against South Africa on 13 June in Johannesburg.

The scorpions will use the international friendly tie against Uganda to prepare themselves physical and mentally for their crunch AFCON qualifiers against Bafana Bafana set for next month.

Uganda will also use the international friendly match against The Gambia to prepare well for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers billed for next month. 

The June 13 meeting will be the first-ever meeting of The Gambia and South Africa in the continent biggest football fiesta since its inception in 1957.

The Gambia came from one nil down to beat South Africa 2-1 in the semifinal of the 2005 African U-17 Youth championship before beating Ghana 1-0 in the final courtesy of striker Ousman Jallow’s controversial goal in the dying minute of the game at the Independence Stadium in Bakau to clinch their first-ever continental title in the cadet category. 

South Africa hosted and have won the Africa Cup of Nations once in 1996 after beating Tunisia in the final, but lost to seven-time African champions Egypt in the final in 1998 in Bukina Faso.

The Gambia have never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations title before and are hoping to win their qualifiers matches in order to keep their hopes of qualifying for the continent’s biggest football fiesta for the first time in their history.