With few days to the start of the 2008 football league season, the national football’s governing body, GFA, has restated what they described as ‘lack of sponsor’ for the domestic league. The Football Association revealed that sponsors constraints have been the main burden of the football association.

In his words of appeal to the partners, Brigadier-General Lang Tombong Tamba, first vice-president of The Gambia Football Association, said: “We are still struggling with the issue of sponsorship. I want to remind our partners that it is equally important to sponsor the domestic league which is the breed for our national teams.”

He added that “all those players playing professional today started from the domestic league.”

“So I am calling on our partners to come and throw their weights behind the domestic league for the good of the game.” “It has always been the problem for the Football Association who are left to do it alone.”

Upcoming league season

Commenting on the upcoming season, The Gambia army chief forecast a tough race.

“It is going to be a very tough league, having seen the teams in their pre-season campaign.”

“Football has taken a new dimension in the country and as years go by, the commitment of players got improved and we hope to witness a much improved league season.”

Real’s Champions League withdrawal

First Division league champions, Real de Banjul, were withdrawn from the CAF Club Champions League and the GFA No 2 insists it’s painful that the Banjul club had been withdrawn from continent’s premier-club competition.

“The withdrawal of Real de Banjul from the CAF Club Champions League was a sad moment for the Football Association. We would have liked to see two Gambian clubs participating in the CAF competitions because it will add pride to our football.”

“But unfortunately we’re facing severe financial constraints... In 2007 alone, we registered four national teams - under 20, under 17, under 23 and Senior Scorpions in various international competitions and all these were financed by the Gambia Football Association.”

“This makes it impossible for us to finance any team to play in the club competition. And we summoned both Real de Banjul and Ports Authority to a meeting where we informed them of our constraints.”