Retro: The age-cheat blow that continues to paralyze Gambian youth football

Football House , home to the Gambia Football Federation

This day in sporting history, in 2014, the reputation of African football over age cheating stumbled across another setback after Gambia were banned from all continental competitions for two years.

Gambia, according to the African football confederation, had fielded five over-age players in a qualifier for Africa’s under-20 championship. One of them was old as 25.

A year before, Nigeria’s victory in the World Under-20 Cup in the United Arab Emirates was questioned by several opposing coaches. The Nigerians had dropped a dozen of their own players before the competition after they failed standard MRI wrist scan tests.

The ban, confirmed by the CAF executive committee, meant Gambia’s senior national team were barred from the 2015 African Cup of Nations in which they were due to play Seychelles in May of 2014 in a first-round qualifier.

Gambian clubs were also be barred from CAF’s continental competitions for two years which was later lifted.

CAF found that all five players were born not later than 1994 and therefore ineligible to play in the under-20 qualifying game against Liberia on April 6. Gambia won the match 1-0 before the result was annulled and the tie awarded to Liberia.

One of the players, forward Ali Sowe of then Italian club Chievo, was alleged to have been as old as 25, CAF said, after it discovered records from a 2012 club competition that showed his birthday on his passport as Oct. 14, 1988.

It was a massive blow for the then freshly installed Gambia Football Federation led by Mustapha Kebbeh as one of the best assembled squads in our youth football led by the now Liberia-based Tapha Manneh, got busted bringing national embarrassment much to the annoyance of the government who didn’t accept administrative error excuses brought forward by the federation .

“ The information by CAF to disqualify The Gambia from the CAF Orange Youth Championship U20 preliminaries as a result of the protest by Liberia against The Gambia for using unqualified (overage) players in the 1st leg of the Liberia vs Gambia played in Liberia on April 6th 2014 which Gambia won by 1-0 has been received by the National Sports Council with total consternation.

“The National Sports Council condemns the decision of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) for using overage players which has caused National embarrassment to the Country which could have been avoided. This clearly shows incompetence of Gambia Football Federation as they were advised on a circular dated September 2nd, 2013 that only players born on 1st January 1995 or after this date are eligible to play in this championship. In addition, the GFF was given expert advice 24 hrs before The Gambia vs Liberia game played on April 6th, 2014, that they needed to go strictly by the dictates of the CAF circular of September 2nd 2013.

“Therefore, the GFF will be expected to take full responsibility of their own wrong judgement and act professionally in such circumstances. It is also expected that the owners of football will do the appropriate thing in the interest of the country. The Gambia is bigger than personal sentiments.
In view of this, the National Sports Council has formed a Task Force to investigate the matter and take appropriate action accordingly.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NATIONAL SPORTS COUNCIL”

Ever since the country has struggled to put together a decent youth team able to penetrate beyond West African Football Union (WAFU)sub regional championships. Most of the players who could have had life and career changing tournaments faded into wilderness. Mustapha Kebbeh and his administration couldn’t survive the backlash from government, fans and the media despite a vote of confidence from clubs close to the former Serekunda East Sports Development Organization chief. A halfhearted apology and claim of responsibility later weren’t enough to save him from a massive campaign by influential stakeholders to dislodge him.  A police investigation ensued in which findings many are still not certain of its conclusions despite a local newspaper claiming privy of its content in 2017.