Women’s Football,Covid-19 and the Dire Impacts on Grassroots Academies

By Ebrima KB Sonko

Yakarr Football Academy

The coronavirus pandemic has prematurely ended the football careers of some Yakarr Football Academy players (girls), who have gone AWOL since the government banned social gatherings, including sports when the pandemic was at its peak in the Gambia.

The Gambia's president, Adama Barrow made a declaration in a televised statement on the 27th of March 2020 amid intensified control measures against the deadly virus.

The proclamation ordered closure of non-essential commodity shops, bars, cafés, casinos, sporting venues, and all forms of public gatherings in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

The subsequent banning of all social gatherings including sports has hit the West Coast Region based academy, Yakarr Academy of Sifoe Village.

More than a year since the president's declaration, some Yakarr Academy girls are yet to return despite the academy resuming training.

The Head coach and trainer of the academy Sheriffo Touray confirmed this to Gambia Sports. "I will say yes, because during the state of emergency the time we stopped training, some of my players also stopped playing football till today they are not back with me."

 Touray also added that the State of emergency has affected his training programmes "the pandemic really affected my training because during the state of emergency we stopped training."

Adama Jarjue, the CEO and founder of the female academy stressed that as law-abiding citizens, they comply with the laws even though they fully know it will affect the Academy.

“The government banned all the sporting activities, we also suspended our training sessions just to follow the guidelines of covid 19, because if not anything else we respect the rules of law,” Adama said.

Lisa Mendy, a player for the Red Scorpions similarly mourned the effects of Covid 19 on Gambian female football, saying the pandemic does not only hinder her sporting activities but education as well. "The pandemic did not only affect Gambian female players only but the world at large. For my part the pandemic has affected me both on education and sports."

Alieu Jawo alias 'Wenger, a Gambian female football enthusiast also spoke to Gambia Sports about the effects of the pandemic, he said the pandemic has retarded the progress of female football. "The pandemic has caused a lot to the players, not playing active football for a year is not good for players." Wenger narrated.

Alagie Nyassi, the grassroots officer of the Gambia Football Federation gave a different perspective to the situation stating the pandemic is a blessing in disguise for Gambian football. The former Tallinding United coach said some clubs used the FIFA covid 19 funds to buy buses for transportation.

"It brought financial benefit to the clubs as many clubs if not all distributed cash amounts to their players and others bought vans for transport purposes."

The ongoing global pandemic first brought all major sporting events - including most football leagues to a halt in March 2020 due to an enforced lockdown, which had several clubs from professional down to grassroots level with significant financial struggles.

The Gambia was not an exception as the government of Adama Barrow had banned public gatherings including sports in a view to curb the spread of covid-19.