Banjul, 27th February 2025: Ahead of his team’s CAF African Nation (CHAN) Championship qualifiers, Gambia Daily Sports engaged the Gambia coach Alhagi Sarr in an interview to gauge his side’s level of preparedness.
He said upon confirmation from the GFF that The Gambia has registered for the tournament he engaged many coaches like Abdou Jammeh, Amat Cham among other national team coaches and president of the Gambia coaching association for the selection process “because he could not go around all the teams to watch the games for it was too late. “We had only 3 weeks to shortlist and training,” he said.
He informed that 41 players were shortlisted from which 11 players were deselected for a 30-man squad, after a 3-day training at the FIFA Goal Project Yundum. That number too was reduced to 23 .
The lamented that due to short period of preparations some experience players, playing in professional leagues in Africa and some former U20 national team players who already had exposure and the experience, couldn’t have a test match because it was too late.
Reacting to the rumors about the selection, Sarr acknowledged that there so many good young players out there but they do not have the exposure and experience to play in the CHAN.
“You cannot take these young players to CHAN. I have been in CHAN for 3 times. I have coached almost 6 international clubs. I know how difficult it is. I don’t want to take these young players and expose them there and if they don’t perform it might damage their career. We are going to play against profession league players. You go to countries like Morocco, Tunis, South Africa, their leagues are far ahead of us, because they are professional leagues”.
He encouraged the players that have been dropped to be committed; that they can be recalled anytime
Coach Alhagie Sar started coaching in the 1990’s and coached teams like Ma Sosseh, Real de Banjul, GPA, and Wallidan.
By Ousman Trawally
