By: Madi Senghore
Essau United Football Club have secured promotion to the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Men’s Second Division League after defeating West Coast Region side Jam City in a thrilling playoff final played in Basori.
The North Bank Region champions produced a determined performance to claim the third and final promotion ticket to the country’s second-tier league after a closely contested encounter between two ambitious teams.
Essau United took the lead in the 56th minute through Ebrima Keita, but Jam City responded quickly as Muhammed Lamin Marong equalised just three minutes later to bring the score level.
The decisive moment came in the 76th minute when Nuha Sonko scored the winning goal to secure a historic promotion for Essau United.
The match ended on a dramatic note, with Jam City reduced to ten players after Marong was shown a red card two minutes into stoppage time. Essau United also finished the game with assistant coach Cheikh Diko sent off in the 82nd minute.
The victory marks a significant milestone in Essau United’s football journey as they prepare to compete among the country’s top second-tier clubs.