As part of activities marking his swearing in ceremony on Friday, Dr Alhagi Yahya Jammeh, the President of the Republic is expected to grace the Gambia U-20’s friendly match against their Nigerian counterparts on Sunday, December 17 at Independence Stadium in Bakau.

In what could be described as a typical West-African friendly encounter, the Gambia is hosting Nigeria in their preparation for the 15th edition of African Youth Championship finals slated for January 20 to February 4, 2007, in Congo.

The presence of President Jammeh at Sunday’s mouth-watery match will undoubtedly add more flavour to the game.

Being the number one fan of football and the Chief Patron of all sporting associations in the country, President Jammeh has been a real force to be reckoned with in the development of Gambian sports particularly football. His benevolent gesture in 2005 had admittedly helped Gambia won her first international recognised trophy in 2005 in its 53 years of football history.

President Jammeh added more ice to the cake when he sponsored the trip for more than 300 Gambian supporters to merrily cheered the team in the 2005 FIFA World U-17 Championship finals in Peru.

Reflecting on such unprecedented and magnanimous gestures from the President, many still hold the firm belief that only President Jammeh can bail out the Gambia U-20 team, as the Darling Scorpions prepare to take part for the first time in the second most-prized football tourney in the continent in Congo Brazzaville.