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The Gambia Consider Quitting WAFU Over Officiating

The Gambia Football Federation president Lamin Kabba Bajo says his country its future with WAFU

(JollofNews) – The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) says it is considering its position within the West African Football Union (WAFU).

Their comments come after refereeing controversies at the last two regional tournaments.

The GFF has submitted complaints to the regional body and the Confederation of African Football over a penalty awarded at the ongoing WAFU Cup of Nations.

“We’re considering our position in WAFU because with all the resources invested in it – to go out in such manner is not fair,” the GFF president Lamin Kabba Bajo told BBC Sport.

“We will probably discuss the issue in a month’s time during our next executive committee meeting.”

The Gambia were knocked out of the tournament when hosts Ghana scored from the spot after Burkina Faso’s Boukari Ouedraogo adjudged a Gambian player had handled the ball.

This is the second consecutive WAFU Cup of Nations tournament in which The Gambia feel they have been treated unfairly.

Two years ago Senegal were crowned regional champions when The Gambia refused to play extra-time following a goalless draw.

They pointed to the fact that the match officials had said the match would go straight to penalties before ultimately reviewing the rules that stipulated extra-time should be played first.

The GFF’s protest also pointed to two other matches that it feels were poorly officiated recently.

One was an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in September 2016 when the Scorpions lost 2-0 in Cameroon, when the recently banned Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey was in charge.

The other involved controversial offside decisions during an Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in July 2016 as The Gambia lost 2-1 on aggregate to Guinea.

Written by Momodou Bah, BBC Sport, The Gambia.

4 Comments

  1. Please Mr Bajo, don’t embarrass yourself and the nation. The nature of football means sometimes decisions don’t go your way, and if you’re not a household name in the game, you tend to get a good share of poor decisions going against you. Even the big boys suffer sometimes. Remember Maradona ‘s “hand of God”, in a crucial world cup match against England? Come on, I’m sure a few bad decisions have gone our way too in the past, especially when we hosted tournaments or home games. That’s football.
    We need to develop our players properly and make our national league more competitive and technical, to challenge the established nations, like Ghana, Nigeria, Cameron, Egypt, etc. That’s where the answer lie; not withdrawing and risking sanctions.
    The fact that Guinea Bissau beat us to the African Cup of Nations means we have regressed over the years, and that blame goes to all of us, especially those actively involved in running and managing the national game.

  2. The fact that Gambia are losing only by small margins is very encouraging, and this success can be built upon. But to portray Gambia as a team of cry babies suggests there’s something wrong with the spirit and and the soul of team management. Much better to build a winning culture and change the present psychology> from complaint to confidence.

  3. I join you two in admonishing the management to nurture a winning culture instead of complain mentality a result of complacency and political patronising.

  4. [He] must be unaware of the most controversial final match ever, of Gambia vs Ghana, during a regional tournament hosted by Gambia, at last minutes, when Gambia had a free kick in their favor but the shot was accompanied by a Gambia clown- like fan wearing sack pants, who sprang himself over Ghana’s goal line simultaneously as the free kick was hurling towards the Ghanian keeper. The keeper was interrupted and missed the free kick that went swirling inside his net. I watched the footage abroad with non-Gambians and to be frank, it was a numbingly embarrassing moment for me. In that shocking kind of an event, the then dictator president Yayah was there sat on his green sofa skinning his teeth out like a grinning donkey. Gambia rob-won the trophy and the dictator handed the trophy to Gambia with his puffed up chest and fixed skin teeth.
    Hey, Mr. Bajo! Our football needs to grow above Nawetan levels. Referees are not being vindicated here but we got to know how to play three or more times better than opponents so that even referees would want our players’ autographs but won’t get it because match commissioners will be watching.
    What is the income of national players of the Gambia. What type of breakfast do they eat, lunch and dinner? Or, you think it doesn’t matter… Are they very well attended my professional doctors and physiotherapists. Are they being really managed?
    I can see that the Gambia side is always a hard struggling side that always seems to be lacking in something. Modern football takes more than just to be hard. The WAFU wouldn’t be affected one little bit with whatever decision the GFF wants to make. I agree with all you said here @Bax. You are spot on.

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