Gambia Through, Mali Out

The National U-20 has successfully completed its campaign in the CAF African Youth Championship qualifiers last Saturday when they defeated Mali 2-1 in Banjul.

However, the defeat in Banjul has earned the Gambia young Scorpions (U-20) a place in their first ever appearance in the Confederation of African Football Youth Championship scheduled for Congo, Brazzaville on the 20th January 2007 and ends on the 5th February 2007.

The match was a well contended one, was entirely dominated by the Malians in the first half which gave them their only goal scored by Elhajj M. Traore.

The Gambia came back into the second half with a different formation which gave them the equaliser in the early minutes by Mandou Bojang and the wining goal scored by Abdoulie Mansally in the dying minutes of the game.

At the end of the encounter, the national coach of the U-20, Peter Bonu Johnson expressed delight for qualifying and commended the coaching staff, the Gambia Football Association, his wife, and all Gambians for their unflinching support towards this success.

He noted that his boys did not play well in the first half of the game and this was due to the fact that most of them were fasting.

When contacted for his reaction after the game, Mamadou Coubally, the Malian coach, declined to comment.