The Gambia National U-20 team will begin their training programme, ahead of the next month's qualifiers of the 17th African U-20 Championship, billed for Libya 2011 against Sierra Leone without the service of the much-talked about foreign coach.
The U-20 team, who has come under heavy criticism after failing to secure a spot in the last qualifying round having in the U-20 championship under the guidance of Coach Lamin Sarr, will once again start an intensive preparation ahead of their clash against Sierra Leone in the weekend of 23rd- 24th and 25th July with a local coach whose name is yet to be disclosed.
But the good and welcoming news is that Manchester United centre-forward Joshua King, who could not take part in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria last year, has received his second call-up to the national assignment, as he is set to appear for The Gambia in the upcoming U-20 qualifiers against Sierra Leone.
The appointment of a foreign coach for the U-20 team has been one of the topics of discussions among The Gambia's football fraternity in recent times. Most if not all of them agreed with the fact that the team can only make it if the foreign coach is appointed to take charge of the baby Scorpions having looked desperate to see their team in the next U-20 championship once again.
But if this interview with the GFA boss is anything to lean on, the team will start training next week with the service of a local coach, but he was however quick to admit that the FA could appoint a foreign coach if the Ministry give them the greenlight to do so.
"We are still waiting for the Ministry of Youth and Sports to give us the green light to appoint a foreign coach to take charge of the U-20 team in the upcoming qualifier, but in the meantime, we will begin our training programme with a local coach before the appointment of a foreign coach," Kinteh told Pointsport.
Meanwhile, the GFA has also invited 12 other foreign based stars, including the former U-17 prolific striker Ebrima Bojang who plies his trade in France.
Others are Abdourahran Dampha of Switzerland, Paul Jatta Denmark, Emanuel Gomez and his comrade Amadou Sanyang, both from MLS, Alieu Darboe, who was part of the U-17 team that took part in last year’s U-17 World Cup in Nigeria, Saihou Gassama of Spain and a key figure of the last U-17 team, as well as six other unfamiliar name in the U-20 team namely, Lamin Darboe and Sainey Mboye, both playing in the U.K, Omar Jassey, Haruna Jammeh formerly of Samger and another public figure in the former U-17 side.
The all-West African clash is set to commence on the weekend of July 23, when the Baby Scorpions will host the Shooting Stars in Banjul.
The return leg will be played two weeks later, and in the first week of August.
The winner between The Gambia and Sierra Leone will proceed to the final round to be played between 24, 25, 26, September 2010.
Tuesday World Cup 2010 matches
New Zealand VS Slovakia GP F 11.30
Ivory Coast VS Portugal GP G 14.00
Brazil VS North Korea GP G 18.30
