Gambian fans receive Scorpions continuous defeats with shock

A teeming number of Gambian fans are becoming increasingly shocked and frustrated by the Scorpions continuous poor showing in the international outings after two consecutive defeats to Guinea Bissau in Lisbon two months ago and Equatorial Guinea in Malabo on Tuesday evening.

The Gambia senior national team on Tuesday endured what proved to be yet another embarrassing defeat to lowly rated Equatorial Guinea in a friendly game marked by some controversial moments including the home team’s decisive goal that separated the two nations in what was said to be an action-packed friendly encounter in Malabo two days ago.

One die-hard fan of the Scorpions Dodou Drammeh, a residence of Busumbala in the West Coast Region, who is still struggling to come to terms with the Gambia’s poor display in Malabo on Tuesday, attributed the Scorpions’ dismal performance to the absence of some key members of the team that failed to travel to Malabo for Tuesday’s friendly for one reason or the other.

“The Scorpions lack good defensive partners,” Drammeh said.

This, according to Drammeh himself a former football star, has taken its toll on the performances of the Gambian team in their previous test matches particularly during the Scorpions embarrassing 3-1 defeat to little known Guinea Bissau in Lisbon two months ago.

Drammeh also attributed the team’s continuous poor performance to lack of finance to fully enhance the team’s preparatory programmes as the country set its sights on earning a spot in its first ever nations cup appearance.

He refused to be drawn into a question regarding the Gambia’s chances of making it to the finals of the 2012 African nations cup to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea who beat the struggling Gambia side 1-nil to send warning to the rest of the continent that Equatorial Guinea could put up a good fight when the nation welcome the rest of the continent in less than two years’ time.

Drammeh also believes that if all the players were available, it could have been a different scoreline.

Seedy Bojang of Serrekunda said, “With this form it is all over for The Gambia. Even if we meet Namibia at home they will beat us; we don’t have any authority in our team. Every player is left to do what he thinks is right. Gambian Football is heading to the beans. In September and October we will see what I am talking about. The Gambia U-17 did not make it, the U-23 withdrew from the Olympic Qualifiers and the senior side is more or less heading towards exit.”

Another angry fan who preferred anonymity said the Gambia’s chances of progressing to the African Nations Cup final look slim considering the way and the manner in which the team is performing and preparing ahead of the continental showpiece.

Tuesday’s lost to Equatorial Guinea was the Scorpions second successive international friendly match setback in two months having succumbed to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Guinea Bissau in Portugal in early February.