Gambia national football team

Gambia

Nickname(s)	The Scorpions
Association	Gambia Football Association
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Head coach	Bohu Johnson
Captain	Pa Dembo Touray
Home stadium	Independence Stadium
FIFA code	GAM
FIFA ranking	118
Highest FIFA ranking	65 (June 2009)
Lowest FIFA ranking	166 (March 2006)
Elo ranking	109
Highest Elo ranking	93 (January 1984)
Lowest Elo ranking	145 (22 November 1993)
Home colours Away colours
First international
British Gambia 3–2 Senegal (Gambia; 5 December 1962)
Biggest win
Gambia 6–0 Lesotho (Banjul, Gambia; 12 October 2002)
Biggest defeat
Guinea 8–0 Gambia (Guinea; 14 May 1972)

The Gambia national football team, nicknamed The Scorpions, is the national team of Gambia and is controlled by the Gambia Football Association. Until 1965, the team, and the country, were known as British Gambia. It has never qualified for the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

History

Under the name British Gambia, the team played their first ever game on 5 December 1962, beating neighbouring Senegal 3-2 at home in a friendly. In April 1963 the team entered the L'Amitié tournament in Senegal, a competition mainly for French-speaking nations. They were drawn in a group with France's amateur team, the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Gabon. Their first match was lost 5-1 to the French amateurs on 11 April. Gambia drew 2-2 with the Upper Volta on 13 April, and had the same result the very next day versus Gabon. Gambia did not advance to the next round.

After the tournament in Senegal, Gambia did not play another match until 16 November 1968, when they travelled to Sierra Leone to play its team in a friendly and lost 2-1. They played again in Sierra Leone in Gambia's next match on 24 April 1971 and the hosts won 3-1. On 2 May 1971 the Gambia travlled to Guinea for a friendly and lost 4-2. On 14 May 1972 the Gambia returned to Guinea for their first African Games qualifier and lost 8-0 and were knocked out.

In 1975 the Gambia entered its first qualification campaign for the football at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. They were drawn in a qualifier against Guinea, and lost the first leg 1-0 at home on 27 April 1975. The second leg was lost 6-0 in Guinea on 1 June as Guinea advanced 7-0 on aggregate.

In August 1975, the Gambia entered their first qualification for the African Cup of Nations, with the aim of reaching the 1976 finals in Ethiopia. They were drawn in a two-legged qualifier against Morocco and lost the first leg 3-0 away on 10 August. They lost by the same score in their home leg on 24 August and Morocco advanced 6-0 on aggregate.

After the qualification campaign for the 1976 finals, the Gambia played their first match against a full European side, losing a home friendly 4-1 to Denmark on 30 January 1977.

Gambia Football Achievements

Amilcar Cabral Cup :

• 3 Times Runners-up

World Cup record

• 1930 to 1978 – Did not enter
• 1982 to 1986 – Did not qualify
• 1990 – Did not enter
• 1994 – Withdrew
• 1998 to 2010 – Did not qualify

African Nations Cup record

• 1957 to 1974 – Did not enter
• 1976 – Did not qualify
• 1978 – Did not enter
• 1980 to 1988 – Did not qualify
• 1990 – Withdrew
• 1992 – Did not qualify
• 1994 – Did not enter
• 1996 – Withdrew during qualifying
• 1998 – Banned for withdrawing in 1996
• 2000 – Withdrew
• 2002 to 2012 – Did not qualify

Current squad

Gambia's 21 man provisional squad for a friendly match against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo.

0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club GK Musa Camara November 2, 1992 (1992-11-02) 1 0 GAMTEL GK Pa Dembo Touray March 30, 1980 (1980-03-30) 14 0 Djurgårdens IF DF Kebba Ceesay November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14) 3 0 Djurgårdens IF DF Mamadou Danso April 27, 1983 (1983-04-27) 2 0 Portland Timbers DF Omar Jawo November 8, 1981 (1981-11-08) 5 1 Gefle IF DF Lamin Basmen Samateh June 26, 1992 (1992-06-26) 0 0 NK Lokomotiva DF Lamin Sarjo Samateh December 20, 1993 (1993-12-20) 0 0 Samger FC MF Abdou Rahman Dampha December 27, 1991 (1991-12-27) 1 0 Neuchâtel Xamax MF Alieu Jagne December 3, 1983 (1983-12-03) 0 0 Sundsvall MF Seyfo Soley December 16, 1980 (1980-12-16) 9 1 Doxa Katokopias MF Demba Savage June 17, 1988 (1988-06-17) 1 0 Honka MF Kenny Mansally January 27, 1989 (1989-01-27) 6 0 New England Revolution MF Sanna Nyassi January 31, 1989 (1989-01-31) 2 1 Montreal Impact MF Tijan Jaiteh December 31, 1988 (1988-12-31) 10 1 Randers FC MF Mustapha Jarju July 18, 1986 (1986-07-18) 16 2 RAEC Mons MF Ebrima Sohna December 14, 1988 (1988-12-14) 12 2 Sandefjord FW Pa Modou Jagne December 26, 1989 (1989-12-26) 8 0 FC St. Gallen FW Edrissa Sonko March 23, 1980 (1980-03-23) 14 7 Ras Al-Khaima FW Buba Sama January 20, 1992 (1992-01-20) 0 0 FW Saihou Jagne December 10, 1986 (1986-12-10) 0 0 Brommapojkarna FW Ibou Savaneh September 7, 1986 (1986-09-07) 3 0 Mons

Recent Call-Ups

0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club GK Christopher Allen (vs. Burkina Faso) December 19, 1989 (1989-12-19) 2 0 GAMTEL DF Abdou Jammeh (vs. Burkina Faso) February 13, 1986 (1986-02-13) 15 0 Doxa Katokopia DF Pa Saikou Kujabi (vs. Burkina Faso) December 10, 1986 (1986-12-10) 10 1 FSV Frankfurt MF Dawda Bah (vs. Burkina Faso) November 12, 1983 (1983-11-12) 9 2 FC Augsburg MF Sainey Nyassi (vs. Burkina Faso) January 31, 1989 (1989-01-31) 3 1 New England Revolution FW Momodou Ceesay (vs. Burkina Faso) December 24, 1988 (1988-12-24) 5 3 MŠK Žilina FW Njogu Demba-Nyrén (vs. Burkina Faso) June 26, 1979 (1979-06-26) 11 2 Esbjerg fB FW Ousman Jallow (vs. Burkina Faso) October 21, 1988 (1988-10-21) 5 2 Brøndby IF FW Aziz Corr Nyang (vs. Burkina Faso) August 27, 1984 (1984-08-27) 12 6 GIF Sundsvall DF Alagie Sosseh July 21, 1986 (1986-07-21) 7 0 Väsby United DF Abdou Njie September 26, 1992 (1992-09-26) 0 0 Gambia Ports Authority F.C. FW Cherno Samba January 10, 1985 (1985-01-10) 4 1 Panetolikos

External links

• Gambia FA