#Article (Archive)

Gambian football going down!

Mar 25, 2013, 8:32 AM

Gambian football is, no doubt, going down to the disappointment of many football lovers, if one is to go by the performance of the senior national team in recent years.

The country has just suffered another humiliating defeat in the hands of the Elephants of Ivory Coast over the weekend.

The country has dropped drastically in the FIFA world ranking, more than ever before, and the situation is worrying.

While The Gambia is battling with lack of enough good players, we also have the problem of a performing coach.

In any case, it is evident that, as a country, we need to do more in addressing the many problems that are affecting national football development.

For instance, it is essential to improve the football leagues, meaning there is absolute necessity to have more good leagues.

Then we can have more of our players playing in more respectable teams abroad, who we can always rely on to form a good national team.

We also need to inculcate discipline among our players, as well as put more emphasis on football academies to nurture local talents.

Sports development, as highlighted in this and our other columns previously, especially football, requires huge investments, good infrastructure and proper administration.

It is our belief that for the game of football to develop in the country, we must address the root causes of our problems as a way of mapping the way forward.

The bottom-line is that the country needs more professional players, as well as good coaches, especially for the national teams; coaches who can help us identify solutions to our problems and help build a winning team.