Sheikh Tijan’s hot take: We played per our blueprint

Sheikh Tijan Gaye is a Gambian sports broadcaster with Capital FM Radio

By Shiekh Tijan Gaye

A lot of emotion, pride, sense of patriotism and goosebumps wrangling through all of us at the moment as we played our first CAN game, got our first 3 points and first man of the match (Musa Barrow).

Gambia got two massive draws vs the current best team in Africa in Algeria, wins against Gabon and twice vs Angola on our way to the AFCON finals. We tried to play differently in friendlies after qualifying but got battered in most of those games particularly vs Morocco B and New Zealand.

Very like Tom to play sit and wait, restrict half-backs from venturing forward and hit on the counter with the pace of Assan, mesmerizing moves of Ablie Jallow and cut ins into the area of Musa Barrow ready to unleash thunderstorm of a shot even if it’s against “supposed minnows” like Mauritania.  Gambians are adherent subscribers of possession based football with skills sets like “kaata” and “laab”. But for the Belgian is pragmatism to the core. Why change ways that works for him? Especially against a team (Mauritania) who beat us in 3 of our last 4 meetings.

Musa Barrow set up “Germanoo” run on the space looking for a return pass possibly to bend one in at the far corner, but the nimble footed Jallow ignored him and delightfully put his laces on the ball pass helpless Diop.

Dembo Darboe, Musa Barrow were all denied by heroic goalkeeping, Marreh and Omar Colley should have found the back of the net with their headers.  Stats show that we crafted big chances and should have had the cushion goal.

Ibou Touray playing as makeshift right back didn’t put a foot wrong and tamed Abubakar Camara, James Gomez is a beast and will always get better whilst Omar Colley and Pa Modou did a job all together to make sure we weren’t troubled apart from wayward shots and couple of poor executed free kicks.

Saul Marreh didn’t put a foot a wrong and exhumed a lot of class whilst the less-fancied Ebou Adams did a job for the team.

It wasn’t pretty but pragmatic, excellent and historic and we have a platform to build on against Mali on Sunday.

PC:ADAMA MANNEH

Gaacheh Ngalama Scorpions.