GAM FOOTBALL NEWS:
The Gambia’s Under 20 team coach, Matarr A Mboge has described the feeling after winning the WAFU Cup trophy in his first international assignment as humbling, after his U20 side beat hosts Liberia 2-1 in the final last Saturday to pick the country’s first cup in the completion.
‘Humbled, proud and delighted to share the news that in my first international assignment as Head Coach of The Gambia U-20s, we went and won our first trophy and gold medals,’ wrote the coach on his Facebook page, before relating his team’s journey to lifting the Gambia’s first trophy since 2009 when the country’s U-17 team won the African Youth Championship in Algeria.
‘A fantastic two weeks spent in Monrovia, Liberia for the WAFU Zone A U-20 2018 Tournament, where we got out of a group containing Guinea, Senegal and Mali, beating Ivory Coast on penalties in the semi-final and then facing the hardest possible opponent in the form of the host country, Liberia, in the final.
‘We also picked up three man of the match awards and our goalkeeper was selected as the best in the tournament. We also finished as the only unbeaten team in the tournament. It doesn’t get much better than that,’ added Matarr, who became the U20s coach back in October 2017.
The coach then paid tribute to Liberia’s President and former World player of the year, George Oppong Manneh Weah, who was reported to have handed substantial cash amount to the Gambian players after reaching the finals, for his generosity.
‘We also had the privilege to meet one of the greatest African footballers of all-time and Ballon D’or winner, who is now the President of Liberia, the Gambian coach.
‘Thanks to George Weah for giving us the opportunity to meet him not only once but twice, we even had lunch with him and we were also given a substantial cash donation too. To say we are blessed is an understatement!.
Mr Mboge also thanked the players led by captain Basirou Mbye, the GFF president and staff.
‘Many thanks to the players led by the captains Basirou Mbye, Saikou Touray and Alfusainey Jatta, the technical team, team manager Ousman Drammeh, head of delegation Rtd. General Lang Tombong Tamba, President Lamin Kabba Bajo and the Executive, the legend Biri Biri, Dr Pa Lamin Beyai, Technical Director Sang Ndong, the strong Gambian contingent in Liberia, the tournament organisers, our Federation led by GS Lamin Jassey and all of our supporters and well-wishers. ‘This is for you all !! My thanks to you all for your messages of congratulations, I just hope that we were able to make our country proud and happy.We must now work even harder to hunt for more trophies, prizes and gold,’ he concluded.
Mboge started his coaching career in 2004 while studying his MSc in Multimedia and Computing at Loughborough University, where he coached his teams to consecutive national league titles between 2005 and 2007. Since his return to The Gambia, he has coached at both club and national team levels, having had other coaching experiences in the UK before his return, including his stint at League Two club Barnet FC, where he was Academy Coach.
In 2014, the 37-year-old coach guided the Gambian league side Real de Banjul to lifting the Gambia’s top division league title after taking over the team from Franky Van De Velde half-way through the season, following the return of the Belgian coach to his native Belgium on health reasons. Mboge has also worked with various Gambia National team sides, where he began as the U-17 coach in April 2015 after been handed a two-year contract, although, at the time, he was already working with the other national sides in assisting roles. Roles he continued to perform even after his appointment as U17 coach till in October 2017, when he was handed the job of U20 Coach, with whom he has won his first major trophy at the WAFU Cup 2018 after beating the hosts Liberia, with goals from Adama Jammeh and Abdoulie Sarr sealing the 2-1victory.
