Heavy defeat for female Scorpions against Mali

The Gambia Female national team suffered a very heavy defeat against Mali in the opening game of their WAFU ZONE A Women's tournament.

The Female Scorpions, who went a player down just after the half an hour mark, when they had Amie Jarju sent off for a reckless foul in the 31st minute, which led to a penalty been awarded to Mali. Aguissa Diarra dispatched the resulting spot kick to give the Malian ladies a goal cushion in the 33rd minute and on course for a 6-0 drubbing of their Gambian counterparts.

We knew it was always going to be difficult against a more experienced Malian side and that daunting reality had been compounded by Amie's sending off, and from then on this encounter became a mountain for the 10-women Scorpions to climb. It didn't take long for that reality to take foot hold, when the Malians increased the deficit to 2-0 just before the half time break through Oumou Kone.

Things got worse after the break, as the Malians took advantage of having an extra player by upping the tempo and the Gambian ladies struggled to cope and ultimately ran out steam.

Oumou Kone scored her second of the afternoon and Mali's third just a minute after the game resumed from the interval in the 46th minute to make it 3-0. Aguissa also scored her second three minutes later in the 49th before completing her hat trick in the 57th minute. Senebu Sidibe completed the rout in the 75th to add salt to the Scorpions gaping wound.

The game ended with a demoralising 6-0 score line and the Gambian team coach Mariama Sowe has real task to motivate her charges to regroup ahead of their next group B match against Guinea Bissau on Fri afternoon. They will have to put this game behind them and move forward as they still stand a chance against their next two opponents Liberia and Guinea Bissau, who battled it out in the day's second game, where Liberia emerged 4-0 winners.

Mali are one of the tournament favourites and it will take something special to stop them on their tracks.