The
first batch of Goal keeper trainers selected from the GFF League Division One
and Two graduated on Friday 20th December 2019, after five days of
instructional training on goal keeping methods and techniques to be employed.
The
course was funded by FIFA and organized by the GFF and is the first of its kind
in The Gambia all premised on the Gambia Football Federation’s quest to have
technical competence personnel in its domestic league.
According
to the Technical Director, this is the ladder to the National categories. The
27 participants number all certificated following their impressive performances
during the period.
Speaking
at the closing ceremony held at the GFF National Technical Training Center in
Yundum, General Secretary Lamin Jassey
thanked the football leadership for approving the course and hailed the
Technical Director for his role in conducting the training.
“This is the first time for a Goalkeeper
training course to be held in the history of The Gambia Football Federation. I
cannot go any further without thanking the Technical Director for the
successful conduct of this training”.
Jassey also congratulated the participants for
completing what he described a milestone development.
“This
is a very important course and i implore all of you to make best use of it because football is no longer the business it is known for hence its an industry
where practical is mostly needed”.
He
thanked the course instructor Alejandro Heredia for the knowledge impacted on
the participants while promising that the GFF will continue to live up to its
core mandate in developing all the parameters of football development.
Course
instructor Alejandro Heredia expressed satisfaction about the training and
hailed the participants for their steadfastness during the period. “I am very
impressed with the group but there is still room for improvement in the theory
aspect.”
He
indulged on the GFF to organize more training programs for the Coaches in order
to make use of their knowledge. “Gambia has potentials for the future and that
is not far away so is up to you because there is always room for improvement,”
he said, and added “the participants should focus more on theoretical aspect
hence most of them have wide knowledge on the practical aspect.”
Technical
Director, Sang John Ndong also congratulated the participants for completing
the course and said the cohort of the trainers would be maintained hence “this
is the first of such a training in the Gambia”.
He
said the training is an important one and as such “I thank God for seeing the
end of a a historic milestone in Gambian football especially in the field of
Goalkeeping”.
Mr
Ndong advised the participants to utilize the knowledge gained well and impact
it to the clubs in League One and Two . “You belong to the highest League in
the Gambia selected from the 1st and 2nd Division and as Goalkeeper Coaches,
you are ought to go back to your clubs and further to the communities to take
part in the GFF Youths and Grassroots Programs to help produce good
Goalkeepers.”
Gambia
Football Coaches Association Secretary General Alagi Amat Cham also expressed
gratitude to the GFF for facilitating the course and assured the leadership
that the knowledge gained would be put into good use.
Source:
GFF
