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Ministry of Youth & Sports outlines plans for Gambia's CANS 2012 qualifiers

Feb 25, 2010, 3:40 PM | Article By: Momodou Faal

Following the CAN 2012 qualifiers draw held last weekend, in which The Gambia falls in group 6 alongside Namibia, Burkina-Faso and Mauritania, the Permanent Secretary of Youth and Sports Mambanyick Njie has stated the Ministry's plans of ensuring successful qualifiers.

In an interview with Pointsport yesterday Njie said that his Ministry will ensure that the Gambia Football Association (GFA) will provide the final budget plan for the qualifiers before the actual qualifiers commences so as to prepare the team better.

He said "we will also ensure that a fund-raising and marketing committee will be put in place immediately to start the fund-raising drive."

PS Njie pointed out that the Ministry, in partnership with the GFA will approach potential partners for the official sponsorship of the national team to ensure that the team is given adequate preparation for a respectable performance which should lead the team?s qualifications for the CAN 2012, which requires a lot of resources.

He said any institution and company that comes forward to be the main sponsor of the national team this time around will be considered to become the team official sponsor upon qualification.

Njie emphasised that for any institution or company to be considered they must start supporting the team right from the qualifying campaign. "If the team qualifies for the Nations Cup greater publicity will be given to the official sponsors so let the support begin now," he added.

He called on the general public to also support the national team as part of its campaign to secure a spot in the African cup of nations to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in 2012.

He described The Gambia's group as fair, noting that Burkina-Faso could be a possible threat to The Gambia.