The Gambia senior national team is set to come face to face with Gabon today in a friendly game to be played in Libreville.
The Gambia's coach Paul Put, who travelled with 22 men, is determined to collect the needed points having failed in the team's last two attempts to win international friendly matches against Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea.
The Gambian team, who faces a difficult task of qualification following another vital win for group mates and leaders Burkina Faso with a 4-1 thumping of bottom place occupant Namibia, travelled to Gabon with a team blended with foreign- and home-based players.
However there are some big name absentees in Paul Put's squad, such as charismatic forward Momodou Ceesay, captain Pa Dembo Touray, Sainey Nyassi and midfielder Tijan Jaiteh, while there are spaces for other big names and stars such as Ousman Jallow, Njogu Demba, Dawda Bah, Demba Savage, Pa Modou Jagne, stand-in-captain Mustapha Jarju and other influential players set to take part in today's friendly.
The Gambia are using the friendly to prepare for the trip to Namibia for the qualifiers of the African Nations Cup finals due to take place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year.
Their trip to Namibia will take place in September before their encounter with Burkina Faso a month later, a match which will definitely decide the Scorpions' fate in the three nations group.
Burkina Faso set up an early pace in group B after strings of three vital wins in a run, which is sure to guarantee them a place in the Nations Cup although they still have a mammoth task of winning against The Gambia, who are determined to win in their remaining two matches to come.
