The recent elimination of our two national teams; namely the U-23 and the U-17 side from the CAF competitions was received with a mixed feelings from sports pundits across the country.

First it was the U-23 to crash out after 0-0 draw in Banjul before losing 0-4 in Cairo fixture. Last Saturday it was the in-experience U-17 side who lost 0-2 to Senegal, a replica of the of the first-leg Banjul scoreline.
While some analysts hold the firm belief that the national football governing should be blamed for the set-back, others maintained that every Gambian must shoulder the blame. However, I am not to judge which side holds the wrong end of the rope but it should be clear to all that the national teams belong to the whole nation and not individuals or the national association as many might perceived.

So it should be the collective responsibility every Gambian to contribute to the success of the national teams. It should also be noted that a mountain should not be built on the elimination of these two sides, instead we must start to prepare for the next competitions lying ahead.

While we should start the process of building another U-17 team from the grassroot level ahead of the 2009 qualifiers, all hands must also be on deck to get our remaining two sides (U-20 and senior Scorpions) attain their goals. There is much hope that these two sides can make us proud, particularly the U-20 side who are just at the finishing end.
Come Saturday, every sports enthusiasts should come out and rally behind the pride of the nation, the U-20 side in their bid to qualify the Gambia for her first-ever CAF U-20 finals in Congo 2007. Remember the saying: “To try and fail is not a disgrace”.