Following The Gambia U-20 team's 4-1 victory over the Shooting Stars of Sierra Leone on Saturday 24th July 2010, at the Independence Stadium in Bakau in the first league of the qualifying campaign of the 17th African U-20 Orange Championship in Libya in 2011, Lamin Sarr, the Head Coach of the Gambia U-20 team is very much delighted at the victory. He lauded the boys for their heroic performance.
"The result is a very positive one, considering the score-line despite the fact that we did not have enough time to prepare ahead of the match," says the elated Sarr who has proven doubters wrong after coming under heavy criticisms. This is prior to the Sierra Leone tie.
"The players were very committed during the entire period of the game, despite the shortest possible time to prepare the team which does to show their willingness to produce a positive result," added Sarr.
Sarr's future as the Head Coach of the U-20 team came under fire when the team conceded an early goal which could have been disastrous for the country's football at the U-20 category, but the game has taken a different direction when Mamut Saine cancelled their Baby Scorpions' advantage in the dying minutes of the first period to his rescue. But he was full of praises for the heroic Gambian side and thanked his employers for giving him another opportunity to take charge of the Gambia U-20 team.
Sarr also stated that he will not wait to see what his country have done for him, but what he has to do for the country.
Noting that it is not yet over, he said they would do their level best to see to it that the team emerges victorious in other qualifying games.
Sarr who recently completed a high level coaching course in Hungary with some great results further thanked Paul Putt, the Head Coach of the Senior National Scorpions for the support and encouragement he received from him to make sure that the team became victorious, as well as the Gambian people for their valuable contribution to ensure a victory at the expense of Sierra Leone.
Sarr who is ready to welcome criticism said "in any task you are given there must be people in the community who will criticize you while others will motivate you."
For his part, the Head Coach of Sierra Leone Almamy Touray refused to give up on the race for a qualification berth. He said in as much as The Gambia beat Sierra Leone with a margin score line, he sees no reason why his team wouldn't score three pass The Gambia when the two sides meet in the return-leg of the qualifiers in two weeks time.
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