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Gambia: Scorpions New Coach Due in Town Next Week

Jose Martenez, the newly appointed head coach of the Scorpions is due in town next week in his duties to deliver his first assignment in the do or die qualifier match away to Guinea.

Martenez who was officially unveiled as replacement for German Antoine Hey who refused to report for duties demanding full payment of his entitlements as coach, on Tuesday April 25, returned to his base in Spain to prepare for his new task.

Dilating on the coming to town of the new coach, Jammeh Bojang Secretary General of the Gambia Football Association said that the coach is expected t arrive sometime next week. He however could not establish the exact date of Martenez's arrival.

The Scorpions are due to play the Cyli Nationale of Guinea on 2 June in Conakry in a make or break encounter. The Scorpions lost the first leg in Banjul 2-0 against the Guineans a game that has nearly caused doom to the chances of the senior Scorpions chance of making their first appearance in a major tournament. The Scorpions currently lie third in the group which has Algeria in top spot with 7 points and Guinea second with 4 points. The Gambia are level on points with Cape Verde the other country in the group who also have 3 points albeit with a superior goal difference midway of the four team round robbing qualifier for the African Nations Cup in Ghana in January next year. Only the country that tops the group is guaranteed automatic qualification.

The Scorpions has already started training on Wednesday with a collection of home based players to prepare the ground before the arrival of the foreign contingent of players next week. Tarik Siagy the Egyptian coach who is in the country on technical assistance is handling the training sessions. He was assistant to Alagie Sarr when the Scorpions played Guinea in March.