By Mustapha Jarju
Musa Sise, the chairman of the media and publicity committee of the national coordinating committee of the African Cup of Nation Road to Cameroon 2021, has said The Gambia is fully prepared to take part in the Africa’s biggest football competition scheduled for Cameroon in the next four weeks to come.
“The Gambia government set up a national coordinating committee some time ago through the Vice president to raise fund and to mobilize and create some awareness surrounding the tournament for a positive participation of the national team,” he said.
“So far, so good, the efforts of the committee is been hampered by the elections and campaigns which really distracted them from everything they were doing because the entire population was focus on the elections,” he noted.
He said that the fact is they are hoping that the team will be here to curtail and collect the Battle Flag from the President sometime this month before the Gambia`s Scorpion head out for the final training camp.
Chairman Sise added that, now that the election is gone all their efforts is geared towards realizing the task that lies ahead of them which is a very difficult one, “but for preparedness, yes we are prepared”, he noted. The Logistic Committee of the Gambia road to Cameroon has being all the way to Cameroon to identify locations, hotel accommodations and other preparations ahead of the marches in January 2022.
He also said that there is preparation on the manner of which the team will be traveling to Cameroon in early January 2022 and the fans will travel in a day or two before the Gambia`s first Match into the AFCON tournament which is all been sorted out.
“The financial challenges are not something we are face with right now and that is being taking care of, but as country and as people we know that the team belong to us so this is why the call for the public to take ownership of the national team to see that they also support not just morally but financially. That is why we are calling the general telling them that there is a need for them to be part of this campaign so that we can have a positive representation in Cameroon”.
“The national team players are well taking care of because their previous trainings are well funded and all the players were happy. There are no lapses as far as I know and there will be final training camp in couple of weeks to come.” He said.
According to him the Gambia is expected to play a home match before moving to Qatar to play against Algeria on 1st January, 2021 this are some of the things which the GFF technical team is working on as part of the final leg of the matches going into the AFCON.
The Gambia qualified for its first ever Africa cup of Nations tournament in March 2021 which gave them the opportunity to take part in the AFCON 2022
