African Champs crashed out at U-17

  1. Posted on Monday 2 November 2009 - 12:23
    Kemo
    Image of Kemo
    Kemo Cham, AfricaNews reporter in Dakar, Senegal
    Africa's Under-17 champion, Gambia, has been sent packing after their dismal performance at the ongoing U-17 World Cup tournament in Nigeria.
    Gambia U-17
    The Baby Scorpions crashed out at the group stage with a lone point after drawing 2-2 with Colombia, on Saturday, in Calabar. They finished at the bottom of Group D that was so much a disappointment for a continental champion, AfricaNews reporter said.

    The Gambians however displayed some semblance of determination during the first half of the match; establish hope of improving on their chances to make it to the second phase of the tournament by scoring two goals through Captain Ebrima Bojang and Lamin Sarjo Samateh. But the Colombians were keen to battle it out with the West Africans, making a come back during the second half of the game, equalizing through Gustavo Cuellar.

    This result left Iran, who beat the Netherlands 1-0 on the same day, at the top of the group with Colombia taking second place.

    Back at home in the Gambia, fans of the Baby Scorpions are grumbling. According to Gamsports Online, a Gambian owned sporting news site based in the UK, angry youths have taken to the street, demanding an explanation from football officials for the poor performance of the team at the U- 17 World Cup tournament. They blamed the country’s football governing body, the Gambia Football Association (GFA), for choosing players based on favouritism.

    According to various accounts, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test conducted by football governing body, FIFA, had affected the Gambian team so much, forcing it to make do with an altogether new team within a short period of time.

    Gambian football officials are however denying this. GFA Secretary General, Jammeh Bojang, told Gamsports Online that all the Gambian players in Nigeria did pass the MRI test. “I have been in touch with the team and FIFA in Nigeria, and I can reveal to you all of the players that went to Nigeria did pass the test,” Bojang noted.

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