January 29th, 2022, the scoreboard at Japoma Stadium read: Gambia 0 Cameroon 2. Two second-half goals from Karl Toko Ekambi ended a fairytale journey for the Scorpions. A debut Nations Cup appearance that brought so much joy to the more than two-million Gambians at home and in the diaspora ended in defeat to host Nation, Cameroon.
The Scorpions left Cameroon brimming with confidence going into the next round of qualifiers, knowing fully-well that an expectant nation wouldn’t settle for anything other than another crack at a second Afcon tournament. This set of players though tend to do things on their own terms. Remember the dramatic win over fellow West African side Guinea. The odd-uninspiring yet result-driven games masterminded by the Coach, Tom Saintfiet. The Belgian and his team continue to defy logic in providing the right formula in building a winning team.
Next up for the Gambia Scorpions is to find out who they will face in the draw for the 2023 Afcon in Ivory Coast. But, should the Scorpions fear any country? GRTS looks at five (5) key issues for facing the Scorpions ahead of the draw and the tournament.
1. Media Campaign: With Gambia among the twenty-four countries vying for the AFCON 2023 trophy in Ivory Coast, the main focus off-field is how to raise significant funds for the National Team. If we learnt anything from the Cameroon expedition, it has to be the strategic media engagement by the members of the Fund-raising committee. They employed aggressive methods in reaching out to the public and the awareness-raising campaign was successful. The public media played an important role in this endeavor. More of the same for the coming campaign!!!
2. Fundraising: How do we raise funds for the national team? Is there an allocated budget for the Gambia’s participation in the AFCON 2023 tournament? How about a rerun of the Road to Afcon Fundraising Dinner, which was a huge success? In the coming weeks and months, a lot will be riding on the next move by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Gambia Football Federation. The Gambia do not have a bottomless pit full of money yet, smart decisions and proper coordination helped deliver some needed cash for the National Team in the last Nations Cup participation. No last-minute scrambles to set-up a Fundraising team!!!
3. The Squad: Coach Tom Saintfiet is spoilt for choices when it comes to the number of players carrying Gambian passports or those of Gambian roots. The Gambia is blessed with talented players. We have always had talented players, but, the Gambia of 2023 has so many players playing in top leagues across Europe and now in the cash-rich Saudi Pro League. Coach Saintfiet, despite this luxury, remains consistent in moulding a core group of talented players who are providing him the right results from day one. More players will be invited to the squad, but Coach Saintfiet’s battle-hardened core group will be crucial to our chances of progressing from our group. The Players will deliver!!!!
4. Key Players: Assessing who a key player is in Tom Saintfeit’s team could pose a challenge to even the most accomplished football expert. But there is a Messi in Argentina. A Ronaldo in a Portugal side. And how about Tom Saintfiet’s side? This Gambia side is built on the power of the collective. The Belgian’s tactics make it easy for the team to thrive. Not a bad idea, considering, the team continues to defy logic in navigating numerous hazardous situations in qualifiers and during tournaments. The Squad though has some match winners and they are coming good at the right time ahead of the tournament. Right across the spine of the team, we have some of our most important players: Safe hands: Baboucarr Gaye, remains number one. In defence, young James Gomez is a towering presence alongside Captain Omar Colley. In midfield, Hamza Barry provides the creative spark for the team, and in attack, Coach Sainfiet has an array of talent to choose from: Ablie Jallow, Assan Ceesay, Musa Barrow, and Muhammed Badamosi all providing the coach with different options. But, the future of Gambian football rests on the young shoulders of the mercurial talents of Yankuba Minteh. He is the rising star of Gambian football!!!
5. The Draw: Who do we fancy in the draw? The Gambia will enter this draw on the back of a truly dramatic end to the qualifying campaign in Group G with two late goals to secure a place in the Afcon 2023 tournament. It confirms Gambia's second straight appearance at a Nations Cup tournament following the Scorpions' impressive showing in Cameroon in 2022. The Scorpions will be joining some stellar names for the draw including defending Champions and neighbours, Senegal. The Teranga Lions will be gunning for a second straight championship victory but they will be facing a stiff challenge from the likes of Nigeria, host nation, Ivory Coast, alongside the North African contingent of Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt. The Gambia Scorpions though are going into the tournament in buoyant mood!!!
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Young Gambian wrestlers Muhammed Faal and Ousman Sakho grabbed bronze medals for the Gambia in the 65kg and 60kg wrestling competitions in the ongoing African School Games in Algeria. Muhammed, who faced strong competition from two Algerians and a Tunisian wrestler in the 65kg category, settled for a bronze after missing a spot in the finals.Ousman Sakho, who lost to an Algerian and a Tunisian wrestler in a pool of three in the 60kg category, also settled for a bronze medal. Hopes are high for the other Gambian athletes competing in other disciplines.
The Gambia's basketball quartet of Abdoulie Taylor, Mustapha Touray, Muhammed J. Camara, and Foday Gorgi Sowe have clinched a gold medal in the African School Games 3x3 basketball competition in the Algerian city of Annaba. Team Gambia, which defeated Ghana in the late evening semifinal game on Tuesday, takes on the Central African Republic a few hours later in the finals. The Team, under the guidance of coach Badara Jeng, has been simply too strong in the group stages. They showed a highly impressive performance to edge out the Central African Republic in a 21-18 scoreline to become the first Gambian team in the ongoing African School Games to win gold medals.
The Gambia's male basketball team and beach volleyball teams (boys and girls) made a bright start in their respective competitions in the African School Games in Algeria. The Basketball-3x3 team defeated Libya 21-2, while the boys Beach Volleyball team defeated Benin 2-0 and the girls beat Ghana with a similar score.The basketball quartet of Abdoulie Taylor, Mustapha Touray, Muhammed J. Camara and Foday Gorgi Sowe were simply irresistible on the courts against Libya. Initially, they had a slow start as it took them two minutes before they could grab their first point, but after that, they started pouncing on the Libyans with some incisive movements and exchanges and astonishing throws that continue to earn them points. At almost five minutes into the game, the Gambia's 3x3 basketball team opened a gap - (9-1) that looked too wide for the Libyans to close.With other Gambian delegation members cheering on the sidelines, the Gambian players continued to outperform their opponents, and by the 9-minute mark, they were done and dusted with the Libyans as they reached the maximum score even before the time elapsed, defeating Libya 21-2 to book a quarter final place as the third team in the group - DR Congo withdrew from the competition. The beach volleyball competition was also a delight for the Gambia's boys and girls in their respective opening pool games. The duo of Hoja Njie and Mariama Sambou registered a straight two-set win over Ghana, defeating them 21-7 and 21-9, while in the boys category, Ensa Kanyi and Abdalllah Bah also pulled a stronger two-set win over Benin with a score of 21-10 and 21-9.
GRTS Sports Editor, Momodou S. Jallow is a winner of the 1st edition of the "My Marathon" Global Micro Video competition. The inaugural edition of the prestigious sports journalism competition organised by the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) and Belt and Road Journalists Network received one hundred and eighty submissions worldwide, out of which, the top 10 videos were selected for the award. Jallow's 5.03-minute micro video report: "THE TRAIL BLAZING GAMBIAN MARATHON CHAMPION" was a master piece detailing the inspiring story of Samba Bah, the rural Gambian boy who defied numerous challenges to become Gambia's best long-distance runner. The GRTS Sports anchor came up against top journalists from leading news agencies from various countries and he was able to pull off the accolade from a highly competitive contest, making him the first Gambian winner of the award.MS, as he is fondly called, was invited to China to receive the Award at a glamorous ceremony held alongside the 2025 Belt and Road Journalism Forum in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province."I am truly honoured to have my work showcased at this high-level journalism forum and to receive the prestigious award," Jallow said after the award ceremony.The winners of the top 10 videos include journalists from The Gambia, Russia, Myanmar, Ethiopia, and five others from renowned Chinese news agencies. MS had his award presented to him by the Secretary General of AIPS Jura Omerez.In receiving his award, the prominent Gambian journalist said: "This is a win for the Gambia and for sports journalism in the country. I wish to sincerely recognise the efforts of the production team, without whom this wouldn't be possible, and express my profound gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in Banjul for the opportunity to participate in the competition."MS Jallow, who heads the GRTS Sport unit, is a leading voice in Gambian sports, and the global recognition is a clear testament to his unmatched creativity in reporting Gambian sports and spotlighting athletes in all disciplines.
The Gambia's beach volleyball teams are set to kick off their highly anticipated competition this afternoon at the inaugural African School Games, taking place in the city of Skikda, Algeria, on Sunday, 27th July 2025.In the women's category, the dynamic duo of Mariama Sambou and Hoja Njie will face off against the talented Ghanaian team in pool B. The match is scheduled to start at 17:00 local time.Simultaneously, the Gambian men's pair of Ensa Kanyi and Abdoulie Bah will also step onto the court, taking on the team from Benin at the same time in Skikda. The Gambian teams are ready to represent their nation with pride as they aim for victory in this prestigious event.
The Gambia's Youth and Sports Minister, Bakary Y. Badjie, bade farewell and handed over the battle flag to the Gambia's delegation to the maiden African School Games in Algeria. During the ceremony, the Minister assured them of the government's continuous support and urged them to be good ambassadors of the country in Algeria.The Sports Minister under whose leadership the Gambia is registered in the First African School Games, used the occasion to share words of encouragement with the delegation. “You all should go out there and be good ambassadors of the country, but you equally compete and come home with medals.”Bai Dodou Jallow, the President of the GNOC, the body responsible for the coordination of the Gambia's team, commended the government for providing school athletes with this rare opportunity. The government provided the delegation with 7 million dalasi, which covers over 80% of the total budget. 26 athletes and their officials will be travelling to Algeria to represent the Gambia in six different sports, including athletics, basketball, 3x3, Judo, swimming, Beach Volleyball and Wrestling. The team is expected to travel to Dakar on Monday morning, where they will board a flight to Algeria in the early hours of Tuesday.The maiden African School Games is set to bring together over 50 countries who will be represented by school athletes in different sports events between the 25th of July and the 5th of August 2025.
In a match that showcased their undeniable spirit and tenacity, The Gambia's Scorpions faced off against the formidable AFCON champions, Ivory Coast.Despite their spirited performance, they fell short, succumbing to a solitary goal from Sébastien Haller, which ultimately secured a narrow 1-0 victory for the hosts - Ivory Coast in round six of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Playing in front of the home crowd at the 33,000 seater Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, the host who are clearly the favourites in the group, took command in the early stages and made their dominance counted after just 15 minutes when they capitalised on a lacklustre defending by the Gambia as Haller nodded home the breakthrough. From the break, the Scorpions nearly turned the game on its head, as they took the game to the Ivorians and forced the home side's goalkeeper, Yahia Fofana, into making some remarkable saves.Yankuba Minteh, the Gambian international who plays for Brighton and Hove Albion in the English Premier League. He is one of the Gambia's most formidable attackers at the moment. (Picture - GFF)The Scorpions were close enough to snatch a point or even grab all three points as Alieu Fadera, Mahmudu Bajo, and Alasana Jatta were all culprits as they squandered gilt-edge chances. This loss dealt a significant blow to The Gambia's chances of a first world cup appearance, leaving their hopes of qualification hanging by a thread. Group winners in each of the nine groups will qualify for the World Cup automatically, while the four best second-place teams will battle for a slot in the play-off to determine who advance to the inter confederation play-offs. The Scorpions, who are on four points after six matches, still have four more games to play - against Kenya and Burundi in the September windows and Gabon and Seychelles in the October international break. To stand even the slightest of chances, the Scorpions must win all the remaining four games. Should the Scorpions qualify, that will be the equivalent of winning the World Cup. The talismanic Musa Barrow, who plays for Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League, he was on the back of a brace heading into this game, as he scored twice against Kenya in round five. (Picture - GFF)But the focus is not largely on qualifying as the Northern Irish - Jonathan McKinstry continues his team-building process ahead of the next AFCON and World Cup Qualifiers. Nobody will hold anyone at gunpoint for this defeat, but the team must improve on a few things, especially scoring goals when it matters the most and improving on their defending.While the result may appear disheartening at first glance, the Scorpions' display in the second half was infused with determination and promise. Their improved performance serves as a glimmer of hope, indicating that brighter days could lie ahead, especially with a burgeoning wave of Gambian talent, making strides in professional football.
The Scorpions of The Gambia completed their final training session in Abidjan in preparation for their upcoming match against Kenya in the fifth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. This important fixture is scheduled to take place in Ivory Coast on Thursday, 20th March 2025, at 7:00 PM.Currently positioned second from the bottom in Group F, the Scorpions have achieved one victory in their four matches, alongside three losses. Head Coach Johnathan McKinstry and his team are focused on reversing their fortunes to enhance their prospects for qualification.
In a remarkable display of talent during February, Yankuba Minteh, the Gambian international, has captivated fans and critics alike with his dynamic performances for Brighton. Scoring two stunning goals and contributing a crucial assist, Minteh’s creativity on the pitch has propelled his team to new heights, earning him a well-deserved nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month.The youngster scored twice against Chelsea in Brighton's 3-0 win before providing an assist for Rutter in Brighton's 4-0 win over Southampton. He wrapped up his February with an impressive performance in Brighton's 2-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth.Minteh will be contesting this award with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, Beto of Everton, Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace, Djed Spence of Tottenham Hotspur and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool.This recognition is monumental for the young star, signalling his potential to become a significant force in the Premier League landscape. Minteh’s blend of skill, speed, and determination is a thrilling prospect for the future. This is remarkable for the 20-year-old youngster in what already looks like the beginning of an illustrious career for the Seagulls threatening attacker.
The Gambia's Women's National Team, popularly known as the Queen Scorpions, has successfully secured their place in the next stage of the 2026 Morocco Women's Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier. In a thrilling return leg match against Niger, held in Dakar, Senegal, the team clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory. This triumph contributed to an impressive aggregate score of 4-1 over the two-legged tie, showcasing their dominance throughout the series.The standout performances of players Mbassy Darboe and Fatou Kanteh were pivotal to the team's success. Darboe's skilful play and strategic positioning led to her scoring a crucial goal that shifted the momentum in favour of The Gambia.Meanwhile, Kanteh showcased her striking prowess, netting an impressive goal that not only sealed the win but also highlighted her offensive capabilities throughout the match.Under the astute guidance of Coach Mariam Sowe, the team displayed remarkable resilience, tactical discipline, and a strong sense of camaraderie. Their unwavering determination and teamwork transformed their ambitions into reality, setting the stage for the next phase of their qualification campaign. The Queen Scorpions are now poised to continue their journey in pursuit of a coveted spot in the continental tournament, fueled by their recent successes and the growing support of their fans.
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