Wikipedia

Gambia national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Gambia women's national football team.

The Gambia national football team (recognized as The Gambia by FIFA)[3] represents The Gambia in men's international football and is controlled by the Gambia Football Federation. Until 1965, the team and the country were known as British Gambia. The team has never qualified for the World Cup. In 2021, Gambia qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the first time in history. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Gambia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Scorpions
AssociationGambia Football Federation (GFF)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachSang Ndong
CaptainOmar Colley
Most capsOmar Colley (52)
Top scorerAssan Ceesay (13)
Home stadiumIndependence Stadium
FIFA codeGAM
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 130 Steady (4 April 2024)[1]
Highest65 (June 2009)
Lowest179 (March 2017)
First international
 British Gambia 2–1 Sierra Leone
(Gambia; 9 February 1953)
Biggest win
 Gambia 12-1 Seychelles 
(Bakau, Gambia; 13 October 2002)
Biggest defeat
 Guinea 8–0 Gambia 
(Guinea; 14 May 1972)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances2 (first in 2021)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2021)

History edit

Under the name British Gambia, the team played their first ever game on 9 February 1953 against Sierra Leone, winning 2–1 at home in a friendly.[4] 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. The Gambia drew 2–2 with the Upper Volta on 13 April, and had the same result the very next day versus Gabon. The Gambia did not advance to the next round.

After the tournament in Senegal, the 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 The Gambia's next match on 24 April 1971, and the hosts won 3–1. On 2 May 1971, The Gambia travelled 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 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 of that same year, 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.[5]

On 12 October 2002, the team got their biggest ever victory in international competition, a 6–0 victory against Lesotho.[6]

In May 2014, the Gambia was banned from all CAF competitions for two years after deliberately falsifying players' ages.[7]

The nation's fortunes improved in qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Although they failed to qualify, they took it to the final round of games, including drawing twice with African giants Algeria.

On 13 November, in their first Group D match of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, Gambia defeated Angola 1–3 in Luanda. This was the Scorpions' first away win in an AFCON or FIFA World Cup qualifier ever, at their 40th attempt. An impressive campaign saw them qualify for their first ever major tournament that year. As the lowest-ranked team in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, the Gambia defied the odds by defeating favourites Tunisia in the group stage, finishing unbeaten in 2nd place in the group. A further win against Guinea in the Round of 16 saw them reach the quarter-finals at their first attempt, eventually going out to tournament hosts Cameroon.

Home stadium edit

 
Football fans watching Gambia v Guinea

Independence Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bakau, Gambia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, although it is also used for music concerts, political events, trade fairs and national celebrations. The stadium holds 30,000 people.[8]

Results and fixtures edit

Main article: Gambia national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023 edit

24 March 2023 AFCON qualification Mali   2–0   Gambia Bamako, Mali
19:00 UTC±0
Report Stadium: Stade du 26 Mars
Referee: Jean Ouattara (Burkina Faso)
28 March 2023 AFCON qualification Gambia   1–0   Mali Casablanca, Morocco
16:00 UTC±0
Report Stadium: Stade Mohamed V
Referee: Kouassi Attisso Attiogbe (Togo)
14 June 2023 AFCON qualification South Sudan   2–3   Gambia Ismailia, Egypt
15:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Suez Canal Stadium
Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
10 September 2023 AFCON qualification Gambia   2–2   Congo Marrakesh, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Stade de Marrakech
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt)
16 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Burundi   3–2   Gambia Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
16:00 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Benjamin Mkapa (National Stadium)
Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin)
20 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Gambia   0–2   Ivory Coast Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
17:00 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Benjamin Mkapa (National Stadium)
Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco)

2024 edit

15 January 2023 AFCON GS Senegal   3–0   Gambia Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
14:00 UTC±0
Report Stadium: Charles Konan Banny Stadium
Attendance: 7,896
Referee: Redouane Jiyed (Morocco)
19 January 2023 AFCON GS Guinea   1–0   Gambia Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
 Report Stadium: Charles Konan Banny Stadium
Attendance: 19,822
Referee: Abdel Aziz Bouh (Mauritania)
23 January 2023 AFCON GS Gambia   2–3   Cameroon Bouaké, Ivory Coast
17:00
Report
Stadium: Stade de la Paix
Attendance: 24,172
Referee: Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
2 June 2026 World Cup qualification Gambia   v   Seychelles
9 June 2026 World Cup qualification Gabon   v   Gambia

Coaching history edit

Players edit

Current squad edit

The following players were called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.[9]

Caps and goals correct as of 23 January 2023, after the match against Cameroon.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Modou Jobe (1988-10-27) 27 October 1988 (age 35) 31 0   Black Leopards
18 1GK Baboucarr Gaye (1998-02-24) 24 February 1998 (age 26) 21 0   Lokomotiv Sofia
22 1GK Lamin Sarr (2001-03-11) 11 March 2001 (age 23) 0 0   Eskilsminne IF
4 2DF Dawda Ngum (1990-09-02) 2 September 1990 (age 33) 21 0   Ariana
5 2DF Omar Colley (1992-10-24) 24 October 1992 (age 31) 51 1   Beşiktaş
12 2DF James Gomez (2001-11-14) 14 November 2001 (age 22) 19 1   Odense
13 2DF Ibou Touray (1994-12-24) 24 December 1994 (age 29) 21 0   Stockport County
14 2DF Noah Sonko Sundberg (1996-06-06) 6 June 1996 (age 27) 18 0   Ludogorets Razgrad
15 2DF Jacob Mendy (1996-12-27) 27 December 1996 (age 27) 3 0   Wrexham
17 2DF Saidy Janko (1995-10-22) 22 October 1995 (age 28) 10 0   Young Boys
21 2DF Muhammed Sanneh (2000-02-19) 19 February 2000 (age 24) 10 0   Baník Ostrava
25 2DF Bubacarr Sanneh (1994-11-14) 14 November 1994 (age 29) 40 1   FK Zvijezda 09
2 3MF Hamza Barry (1994-05-03) 3 May 1994 (age 29) 26 1   Vejle
6 3MF Sulayman Marreh (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 28) 35 1   Železničar Pančevo
8 3MF Ebou Adams (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 28) 16 0   Cardiff City
16 3MF Alasana Manneh (1998-04-08) 8 April 1998 (age 26) 12 0   Odense
24 3MF Ebrima Darboe (2001-06-06) 6 June 2001 (age 22) 15 0   Sampdoria
27 3MF Yusupha Bobb (1996-06-22) 22 June 1996 (age 27) 20 0   KAC Marrakech
3 4FW Ablie Jallow (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998 (age 25) 32 8   Metz
7 4FW Alieu Fadera (2001-11-03) 3 November 2001 (age 22) 7 0   K.R.C. Genk
9 4FW Assan Ceesay (1994-03-17) 17 March 1994 (age 30) 41 14   Damac
10 4FW Musa Barrow (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998 (age 25) 38 6   Al Taawoun
11 4FW Abdoulie Sanyang (1999-05-08) 8 May 1999 (age 24) 14 0   Grenoble
19 4FW Ebrima Colley (2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 (age 24) 24 2   Young Boys
20 4FW Yankuba Minteh (2004-07-22) 22 July 2004 (age 19) 5 1   Feyenoord
23 4FW Muhammed Badamosi (1998-12-27) 27 December 1998 (age 25) 22 2   Čukarički
26 4FW Ali Sowe (1994-06-14) 14 June 1994 (age 29) 12 0   MKE Ankaragücü

Recent call ups edit

The following players have also been called up to the Gambia squad within the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Sheikh Sibi (1998-02-21) 21 February 1998 (age 26) 3 0   Virtus Verona 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
GK Ebrima Jarju (1998-03-16) 16 March 1998 (age 26) 0 0   Paide 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Sulayman Bojang (1997-09-03) 3 September 1997 (age 26) 6 0   Skeid 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Ismaila Jome (1994-11-04) 4 November 1994 (age 29) 2 0   Oakland Roots 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Baboucarr Njie (1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 28) 0 0   San Antonio 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Alagie Saine (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21) 0 0   Horsens 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Momodou Colley (1995-01-30) 30 January 1995 (age 29) 0 0   Union Titus Pétange v.   Mali, 28 March 2023
MF Bubacarr Jobe (1994-11-21) 21 November 1994 (age 29) 10 3   Norrby 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Sainey Njie (2001-08-30) 30 August 2001 (age 22) 5 0   Radnik Surdulica 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Jesper Ceesay (2003-05-04) 4 May 2003 (age 20) 0 0   Norrköping 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Saikou Touray (2000-06-06) 6 June 2000 (age 23) 0 0   Grenoble 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Saidou Khan (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 28) 0 0   Swindon Town 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Mahmudu Bajo (2004-08-15) 15 August 2004 (age 19) 0 0   Podbrezová 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Ismail Ceesay (2004-08-15) 15 August 2004 (age 19) 0 0   Železiarne Podbrezová v.   Ivory Coast, 20 November 2023
MF Mustapha Colley (1996-12-27) 27 December 1996 (age 27) 0 0   Wrexham v.   Ivory Coast, 20 November 2023
MF Ousman Bojang (2001-08-30) 30 August 2001 (age 22) 3 0   Radnik Surdulica v.   Congo, 10 September 2023
MF Ebrima Barrow (2001-10-20) 20 October 2001 (age 22) 0 0   IFK Norrköping v.   Congo, 10 September 2023
MF Musa Touray (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 28) 0 0   Swindon Town v.   Congo, 10 September 2023
MF Bakary Kinteh (1999-08-05) 5 August 1999 (age 24) 0 0   RFS v.   Mali, 28 March 2023
FW Lamin Jallow (1994-07-22) 22 July 1994 (age 29) 19 1   CR Belouizdad 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Dembo Darboe (1998-08-17) 17 August 1998 (age 25) 5 0   Astana 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Musa Juwara (2001-12-26) 26 December 2001 (age 22) 1 0   Vejle 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Adama Bojang (2004-05-28) 28 May 2004 (age 19) 0 0   Reims 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Pa Adama Jallow (1999-05-08) 8 May 1999 (age 24) 12 0   Grenoble v.   Ivory Coast, 20 November 2023
FW Ibrahim Jammeh (1994-01-03) 3 January 1994 (age 30) 6 0   Al-Markhiya v.   Mali, 28 March 2023

WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Records edit

As of 20 November 2023[10]
Players in bold are still active with Gambia.

Most appearances edit

 
Omar Colley is Gambia's most capped player with 49 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Omar Colley 49 1 2012–present
2 Pa Modou Jagne 43 2 2006–2022
3 Assan Ceesay 39 13 2013–present
Bubacarr Sanneh 39 1 2012–present
5 Ebrima Sohna 38 3 2007–2022
6 Musa Barrow 35 6 2018–present
Sulayman Marreh 35 1 2011–present
8 Abdou Jammeh 33 2 2006–2015
9 Modou Jobe 31 0 2007–present
10 Ablie Jallow 30 7 2015–present

Top goalscorer edit

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Assan Ceesay 13 39 0.33 2013–present
2 Ablie Jallow 7 30 0.23 2015–present
3 Momoudou Ceesay 6 16 0.38 2010–2015
Musa Barrow 6 35 0.17 2018–present
5 Omar Samba 5 11 0.45 1995–2002
Jatto Ceesay 5 17 0.29 1994–2007
Mustapha Jarju 5 26 0.19 2006–2013
8 Samuel Kargbo 3 9 0.33 1994–1996
Njogu Demba-Nyrén 3 15 0.2 2006–2011
Edrissa Sonko 3 16 0.19 1996–2008
Aziz Corr Nyang 3 17 0.18 2002–2011
Bubacarr Jobe 3 17 0.18 2018–present
Mamadou Danso 3 20 0.15 2011–2019
Ebrima Ebou Sillah 3 24 0.13 1996–2008
Ebrima Sohna 3 38 0.08 2007–2022

Competitive record edit

FIFA World Cup edit

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1950 Part of   United Kingdom Part of   United Kingdom
1954 to 1966 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1970 to 1978 Did not enter Did not enter
  1982 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 1
  1986 2 1 0 1 3 6
  1990 Did not enter Did not enter
  1994 Withdrew Withdrew
  1998 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 5
    2002 2 0 0 2 0 3
  2006 2 1 0 1 2 3
  2010 6 2 3 1 6 3
  2014 6 1 1 4 4 11
  2018 2 0 1 1 2 3
  2022 2 0 0 2 1 3
      2026 To be determined 2 0 0 2 2 5
      2030 To be determined
  2034
Total – 0/14 – – – – – – 28 6 6 16 24 43

Africa Cup of Nations edit

Africa Cup of Nations record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
  1957 to   1963 Part of United Kingdom
  1965 Not affiliated to CAF
  1968 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   2013 did not qualify
  2015 Banned
  2017 did not qualify
  2019
  2021 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 4 3
  2023 Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 7
  2025 to be determined
      2027
Total Quarter-finals 2/33 8 3 1 4 6 10

Honours edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  2. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  3. ^ "The Gambia". FIFA. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  4. ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Gambia". World Football Elo Rankings. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Gambia – List of International Matches". Rsssf.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Gambia v Lesotho, 13 October 2002". 11v11.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  7. ^ "The Gambia disqualified from all Caf competitions". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Gambia National Stadium". Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Final Squad" (PDF). CAF Online.
  10. ^ "Gambia". National Football Teams.

External links edit

 
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