Sarjo
Saidykhan, a female coaching a male team abandoned by a male coach due to lack
of performance on the pitch, is frustrated by the attitude of football
stakeholders who abandoned her and her female team in LRR.
Speaking
to her in an interview recently at the Soma Mini Stadium where she was watching
a football tournament with her team Kinteh’s 11 FC, Sarjo told me that
sometimes the only thing that comes to her mind was quitting football due to
the lack of support, encouragement from football stakeholders, who only
concentrate on male football.
The
20-year-old was so passionate about football that I could see in her eyes that
she worships and believes in nothing other than putting on jerseys, soccer
shoes and making her way to the pitch to come face-to-face with balls.
She
was also desperate at the lack of support from football stakeholders to enable
her to make her mark in the game nationally and internationally.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
Briefly tell me about your educational background?
Sarjo
Saidykhan Kinteh’s 11 FC coach in Jarra Khan Kunda said she went to school but
stopped at Grade 9.
“I
start football when I enrolled in Primary School Grade one. Every day when I
close from school, I go to the football field to train. My first game as a
female team player was when I was in Grade 5 and I was called from Soma to go
and play against Farafenni and we won 2-1 and that was in 2007,” she said.
“I
still play for the female team here in LRR,” she added.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
How did you come to coach Kinteh’s 11 FC as a female Coach?
Sarjo:
Kinteh’s 11 had a coach (Baboucarr Drammeh) but the team was not that lucky and
they lost every game they played so the coach became fed up and resigned. We
called him for a meeting to talk to him but he insisted that he had resigned as
coach. So the next game the team was about to play there was no coach to go
with them so I was called upon and I decided to coach the team. The team lost
that game as well.
I
started coaching them at the age of 19 and now I am 20 years old.
The
following year, I led the team to another game in Pakalinding as the coach. At
Pakalinding, I lost the first game 1-0, I won the second game, lost the 3rd
game and I went to quarter finals against Jarra Sy Kunda and won through
penalties. Then I won semifinals and lost the final.
Before
I took over, the team hardly made it to the quarter finals but with dedication
and hard work, I coached them and we reached the final and people were
surprised. Some had to pay fare all the way from the Kombos to witness the
final, which I lost because luck was not on my side.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
How do you feel being a female coach and qualifying Kinteh’s 11 for finals for
the first time?
Sarjo:
Well to me that is normal because football is something that is so dear to my
heart and bringing such an achievement to a team abandoned by a male coach is
something great. My life and everything I do is football so I am glad to coach
the team.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
Do you face any resistance from the team members being coached by you?
Sarjo:
No they all agree that I will coach them. At that time they do not have a coach
so I had to step in and help and that is what I did. I am a humble coach and we
train every week as a team and we only take a break after playing a game so
that they can gather strength a day or two before we get back to the pitch to
train again.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
How is coaching for you?
Sarjo:
Coaching is nice and I enjoy it a lot. I did it once for my female team at
Yundum. I want to concentrate on coaching fully if I get the support and the opportunity
because I love it and doing it for me is very easy.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
What is the nature of the female team here?
Sarjo:
The female team here is not working as it should be because it is abandoned by
the football stakeholders. It has been dormant for nearly five years and we
have not played a league game as a female team. We do not have sponsors.
This
is the way. It is very frustrating that sometimes the only thing that comes to
mind is quitting football. Because you will be here for three to four years
without playing any game or taking part in any event. They are only interested
in male football and the female football teams are abandoned and they hardly
organize a league for us.
SHE-SHE-SHE:
How many female teams do you have in LRR?
Sarjo:
We have one regional team but we have numerous female teams here that can take
part in a league. There is no encouragement or support from anywhere including
the ministry and the football stakeholders. They will sit for a while and call
me saying that they will organize something but it will stop at that phone
call. We recently lost our goalkeeper but some of my team mates are here whilst
others are married. Reviving it will not be a problem if there is support from
the relevant authorities.
SHE: SHE: SHE: Do you get in touch with GFF?
Sarjo:
No, the last time NYC had meetings they called me and said they want us to put
ourselves together so that they can organize a female league and I tell them,
we are here anytime you people are ready you will meet us here but it stopped
at phone calls.
SHE:
SHE: SHE: What message do you have for the Government and football
stakeholders?
Sarjo:
Let them remember that we are here and know that when it comes to Gambian
football there should be equal treatment for both the male and female teams.
There is no gender balance in Gambian football because they give all the
attention to the male teams and abandon the female teams. They are organizing
leagues for male teams, why can’t they do same for the female teams as well? So
I am appealing to them to help us realise our dreams of becoming an
international female football team and players that will represent the country
internationally.
We
also need a well-structured team so that any time we have an opportunity to
play a game it will be easier to do so without going through the trouble of
putting a team together.
SHE:
SHE: SHE: Do you receive assistance in terms of football materials?
Sarjo:
There is no assistance when it comes to football shoes, jerseys and other
relevant materials from anyone. The last jerseys I can remember was in 2007
when I was in Grade 5.
After
that I went to Kombo for zonals and we played there and we were given jerseys
and after the zonals the jerseys disappeared because they took them back.
The
frustration is too much and the lack of support and encouragement makes me want
to quit every day but it is just the passion that I have for the game that
keeps me going.
