‘We have decided to waive registration fees for clubs’: GFF President LK Bajo

The President of the Gambia Football Federation Lamin Kabba Bajo has received a rousing applause when he disclosed that the Executive Committee of the GFF have unanimously agreed to waive registration fees for clubs in the coming league season. ‘ We have also agreed to extend preparation support to all the clubs in the league, support all the designated playing grounds, all the Regional Associations and Allied Associations’, Bajo disclosed.

Mr Bajo said the ExCO is as well looking at modalities on further assisting the clubs in their mobility and transport errands to and from the grounds.

Mr Bajo made this announcement at the GFF Club Management meeting held on Friday October 28th at the Friendship Hostel where Presidents and Secretary Generals of League Clubs converged to review the past season and make forward to the new league 2016/17 season.

A total sum of 1.46 million dalasis as sum to be waived as registration fees to League clubs while each Regional Football Association will received from the GFF D50,000.00 as support to their respective regional footballs. The President further announced that all Allied Associations will also receive D50,000.00 as support while according to him, the GFF will also intervene and support Gambia’s two representatives in the CAF Club and Confederations Cup GPA and Brikama United in their match indemnities, airfares and accommodation during home matches.

GFF ExCO Member Bakary K Jammeh also informed club managers about the GFF’s Four year strategic development plan which according to him encompasses a holistic development agenda amongst which is the support to league clubs, grounds and other relevant structures. “All these is possible because of the increase in the FIFA funding hence the GFF is dependent on FIFA support. FIFA has put together all the finances in one segment under strict conditions’. Mr Jammeh disclosed that the Gambia is one of two countries in Africa that is been acclaimed by FIFA to have succeeded in assessing the said fund. ‘ The FIFA Assistance Program is to meet conditions and unless a country fulfills such, no monies would be disbursed to your Association’.

GFF 2nd Vice President Ebou Faye told Club managers that the GFF has a strategic vision for the country’s national league and according to him, one of the plans is to increase the quality and competition of the leagues and to further increase the playing time of players. “We want as part of our strategic vision of national league to produce more quality players and to further enable our players to take part in international football or club engagements’. Mr Faye further disclosed that a new dimension in League Div TWO would be tested this season by introducing a playoff for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place teams to go in an elimination round for the winner to join in the 1st tear.

By next season 2017/18, our plan is to increase League Div One teams to 14 while Div Two will also be increased to 16.

The preseason meeting was attended by all club representatives and Executive members of the Gambia Football Federation. League Div One will kick off on the 19th Nov while Div Two will also roll on the 9th Nov, 2016.

Sources: gff.gm