Email Gambia News to a friend
Print version
Comment on This Gambia News

Gambia News : Gambia draw inspiration from 1962

A member of the only Gambian side to ever beat Senegal believes an overdue victory will come in Saturday's winner-takes-all 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Dakar.

The victory against their neighbours came way back in 1962, when the Scorpions won 3-2 in the Senegalese capital.

George Gomez, who scored in that match, believes his compatriots can earn the three points this weekend that will take them into the final round of qualifying.

"We have the team to beat Senegal - and Senegal are beatable," the 70-year-old told BBC Sport.

"The Teranga Lions of today are not the Lions of five or six years ago - some players have been there a long time and are now past their best."

"Our boys are a young team, very determined and very aware that we have not beaten Senegal for 46 years."

Demba will be key as the Gambia aim to repeat the win of 1962

Gomez, now the executive director of Gambia's National Olympic Committee believes his nation's hosting and winning of the 2005 African Under-17 Championship changed its football forever.

"Senegal started in youth development in the 1970s, setting up academies which provided players who ended up in France, but we never had that," he explained.

"We've been a lot better ever since - especially after we performed so well in the 2005 Under-17 World Cup.

"Before the African Under-17 Championship, the Gambian FA drew up a talent identification programme and scouted players from all over the country.

We decided to change our formation and aimed to use the flanks more, and we ended up winning 3-2! George Gomez

"After that, we invited Gambians from the diaspora to come for trials which is how we ended up with Njogu Demba and Cherno Samba in the squad."

Njogu Demba, a tall and powerful striker who plays for Norwegian side SK Brann, had been a selection worry for Gambia coach Paul Put but has come through a late fitness test.

"Demba is our top striker and very, very important for the team," a relieved Gomez explained.

As he casts his mind back to the game in 1962, the ex-international says he remembers it as if it were yesterday.

"We had no manager at the time and at half-time, when we were trailing 2-0, we reassured each other that we'd be ok," he recalls.

"We decided to change our formation and aimed to use the flanks more, and we ended up winning 3-2!"

The Gambian believes a similar strategy could be the key to success on Saturday, where victory for either side will take them to the final round of qualifying.