The Gambia will soon get her first-ever Artificial turf, or synthetic turf - thanks to world football governing body’s financial assistance.

Construction works have intensified at the Brikama Box Bar Mini-stadium, a site identified by the Gambia Football Association, for the construction of the newly introduced synthetic surface.

The turf is a grass-like man-made surface, manufactured from synthetic materials. It is most often used in arenas for sports that are normally played on grass.

Maintaining a grass playing surface is prohibitively expensive, while artificial turf is done as a result of  its reduced maintenance cost.

Observer Sports visited the Box Bar Mini-stadium last night, where  constructors were seen  working at the site.

“First we removed the top soil of the pitch and we have already placed the first layer as we try to level the depression area right now. We are expecting the FIFA inspection team officials on Thursday and if they approve the first step, then we will go ahead to place the second layer,” a Supervisor at the centre told Observer Sports.

“I cannot tell exactly when  works would be completed, but at the end of the day we hope to present to the FIFA and the Gambia Football Association, a well place turf. Artificial turfs are cost effective, compared to grass surfaces,” he said.

Artificial playing surfaces using sand and/or rubber infill were developed in the early 21st century. These "next generation", or Artificial Grass, surfaces are often virtually indistinguishable from grass when viewed from any distance, and are generally regarded as being about as safe to play on as a typical grass surface — perhaps even safer in cold conditions.

Many nations have installed the new synthetic turf surfaces, while some nations which have maintained grass surfaces are now re-considering artificial turf. With many football clubs looking to reduce both maintenance costs, the issue has also been re-visited by the sport's governing bodies.

"The most common type uses polyethylene "grass" about 5 centimetres long, which is lubricated with silicone and sewn into a rubberised plastic mat. The whole thing is then "infilled" with a 4-centimetre layer of sand and rubber granules, which keeps the fibres upright and provides the right level of shock absorbency and deformability. The majority of the 15 or so turf manufacturers approved by FIFA use this technology.

UEFA later announced that starting from the 2005-06 season, approved artificial surfaces were to be permitted in their competitions.

A full international fixture for the 2008 European Championships is due to be played on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 between England and Russia on an artificial surface, which was installed to counteract adverse weather conditions, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

It will be one of the first full international games to be played on such a surface (which has been approved by both FIFA and UEFA). However UEFA have ordered that the 2008 European Champions League final which is due to be hosted in the same stadium in May 2008 must take place on grass and stressed that artificial turf should only be considered an option where climatic conditions necessitate it.