State Guard crowned 2014 Inter-unites champs

The State Guard Battalions were last week crowned the 2014 Inter-units annual military football tournament.

The defeat came through a battle against the Gambia National Army (GAF) during the penalty shootout after a tight goalless 90-minute struggle held at the Yundum Military Barracks in the West Coast Region.

That was the fourth inter-units football competitions.

The two were last year defeated at the group fixture, were GAF were beaten 4-0 by NAVY, while State Guard Battalions ended pointless.

Speaking to reporters, State Guard coach Warrant Officer 2 Momodou Bah thanked God for the victory and extended gratitude to the entire command and staff members of the State Guard for giving them the support since the beginning of the tournament.

He said their victory came through determination and hard work. He described their opponents as strong opposition, which gave them no chance to score during the normal time played.

He said they had been together for so long.

He said their early dropout last year was due to insufficient preparation towards the tournament, which they capitalized on with hard work and determination in this year’s competition.

He thanked the coaching and the organizing committees and urged all teams to prepare for next year’s tournament.

Fajara Barracks GAF private coach Lamin Bojang alias Marcos Sena said despite the loss he appreciated the performance of his squad.

Marcos Sena, who took the mantle of the coach this year, said the team was dropped at an early stage in last year’s tournament. However, this year because of their preparation and hard work, they only conceived a single goal during the penalty shootout.

Acknowledging defeat, coach Marcos congratulated the winners for the trophy, saying he would grab it next year at the Fajara Barracks.

He thanked the organizing committee for a job well done.