#Sports

Red Scorpions coach honoured as pioneer sportswoman

Mar 17, 2023, 1:05 PM | Article By: Ali Jaw

The head coach of Gambia's First Division Women's team, Red Scorpions Football Club and assistant coach of the Gambia’s Women Under-17 football team, Choro Mbenga has been honoured by The Woman Boss as Pioneer Woman Boss in Sports.

Choro started playing football in the streets of Bakau more than 30 years ago.

"When I was growing up, football was for boys to play and not girls. Girls have always been judged negatively, but I am so grateful that my parents and siblings believed and supported me. At the end, everything is about self-belief and perseverance,” she once said.

From 2014, she was the Gambia Football Federation (GFF)'s women's football coordinator but later resigned in 2015. Whilst in that position, she organised Gambia's first women's football festival for girls aged between 6 and 12 in Old Yundum.

She remains the only Gambian woman in the sport with a FIFA B-grade license. Choro led the Red Scorpions to second place in the 2009 Division One League.

Red Scorpions, under her guidance won back-to-back Women’s League One Division titles in 2018 and 2019.

In 2022, she also won the title, being the only side that did not taste defeat during the campaign after collecting 38 points in 14 league matches. Her team won 12 matches and drew 2 in 14 games, scoring 33 league goals.

The award by The Woman Boss was thus, conferred to her on 4th March at Coco Ocean where other women leaders and innovators in various sectors were also awarded.