Some of the members of Team Restore Confidence were speaking during the unveiling of the 10-man Executive Committee who are aspiring to unseat incumbent Kaba-led Executive.
Mass Axi Gaye, former Minister of Youth and Sports who is part of The Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) FC executive committee, said that there is no need for everyone to inform each other about the deficiency in the country’s football development.
“We all are living witnesses especially club owners. We have been living our life in football. We played; we administered and went up to the highest office of minister of Sports.”
According to him, they shared all their resources, time, energy and everything to develop football but still at the back.
“For this reason, I am appealing to all stakeholders not to give any third-term to the Kaba-led executive. They did two terms in running our football. Even if it was good we might consider but the third term is what Africa is no longer in support of. Third term is not even good, especially for someone who did not even do anything.”
He added that for eight years there were no developments, adding that the simplest and most important in football development is playing ground for youth to showcase their talents.
He urged the 77 people who will be deciding the faith of Gambian football for the 2.5 million Gambians for the next four years to cast their votes wisely.
“I want these people to be very careful because if anything goes wrong, they will be held responsible. Whoever is part of it will be held responsible for posterity. For this reason I am appealing to everyone to come together and work towards making a decision for the development of our football.”
Borry Darboe, Former Chairman of the National Sports Council, stated that despite his silence, he has been with Team Restore Confidence.
“Before joining their camp, I told Team Kamaso that if they do not want to be open and transparent to Gambians then, I will not support their camp,” he said.
According to him, he stood with colleagues to fight against sports corruption, adding that they dedicated their time to put smiles on the faces of athletes, be it footballers, basketball, volleyball and other athletes.
“We have faced a series of challenges with no support. Each time we speak they term us as witch hunters. I always told them that if they are witches, then we will hunt them because they were entrusted with a national treasury which is our sport; and that if you mismanage it and we know about it, then we will raise an alarm.”
“In The Gambia everybody has a lost hope and if there is a team that has come to restore that confidence, I think it is a team that the whole country should embrace.”
He added that the parents in the house, market women, footballers and the administrators themselves have a lost hope in Gambian football administration.
He noted that Team Restore Confidence has come to restore the lost confidence across the country.
Alieu Bay Ceesay, president of Wallidan FC, said having different calibers of people (from referees, administration, ministers and others) supporting their camp and endorsing their candidate means that they have trust in their camp and leadership.
He added that the people are not supporting their camp for positions or to enrich themselves but rather to see Gambian football develop.
“Football is about youthful things. Let us stop saying that Team Kamaso is in a hurry to lead the affairs of Gambian football. People cannot fool us anymore and it is about time we remove those kinds of ideologies,” he said.
He also called on club presidents to come together and change the leadership of football in the country.
Meanwhile, the GFF election nominations began last Thursday, with the election slated for Saturday 27th August 2022.
