The Gambia U-20 will be looking to send shockwaves at the Egypt 2023 TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations when they tournament kicks off on February 19 this Sunday. 

The Young Scorpions played their final preparatory on Wednesday evening match against Mozambique with the score ending 1-1in a tightly contested affair.

Bayern Munich youngster Mamin Sanyang has been included in The Gambia’s squad and will look to add firepower.

The former TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Heldenhelm FC youth player has been rewarded for his impressive performances at the Bavarian club’s reserves team.

Coach Abdoulie Bojang has maintained the crop of players that qualified the two-time bronze medalists in his 25-man squad.

Steve Biko’s in-form striker Adama Bojang and Real de Banjul’s duo of Salifu Colley and Alieu Gibba will be hoping to replicate his domestic form in Egypt.

Cape Town City winger Kajally Drammeh, Fortune fullback Bakary Jawara and captain Alagie Saine will have another taste of the biennial tournament following their exploits in the last edition in Mauritania.

“We have a team that represented the nation at the WAFU-A (qualifying tournament) they did very well to qualify the team to the AFCON,” said head coach Abdoulie Bojang.

The Young Scorpions booked their fourth TotalEnergies U-20 AFCON ticket finishing second to their arch rivals Senegal in the WAFU-A qualifying tournament last year.

They have been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Zambia and Benin.

“We needed a little adjustment, that’s what we did, we brought in some foreign based players and it is the offensive side that we needed to adjust, which we did and we’re hoping to have a stronger team,” Bojang told CAFOnline.

“The striking force was the weakness we needed to improve and I believe if we had enough strikers during the qualifying tournament we would’ve won it.

“We trained with the likes of Momodou Marong and Ebrima Singhateh and we all know the qualities of Kajally Drammeh and Mamin Sanyang so bringing them in would give more weight to the team and will be able to qualify.”

The Gambia squad:

Goalkeepers: Pa Ebou Dampha (Waa Banjul), Ebrima Jaiteh (TMT FC), Youkasseh Sanyang (Steve Biko FC)

Defenders: Ba Lamin Sowe (Tenerife, Spain), Sainey Sanyang (Hawks), Alagie Saine (AC Horsens, Denmark), Dembo Saidykhan (Steve Biko), Moses Jarju (Fortune), Bakary Jawara (Fortune), Mamadou Bah (Team Rhino)

Midfielders: Mahmud Bajo (Granada, Spain), Bailo Bah (Hawks), Kajally Drammeh (Cape Town City, South Africa), Momodou Salieu Jallow (Waa Banjul), Haruna Rashid Njie (Gunjur), Muhammed Sawaneh (Tengueth, Senegal), Alieu Gibba (Real de Banjul), Muhammed Jobe (Real de Banjul)

Forwards: Salifu Colley (Real de Banjul), Mansour Mbye (Banjul United), Ismaila Manneh (Steve Biko), Ebrima Singhateh (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Adama Bojang (Steve Biko), Mamin Sanyang (Bayern Munich, Germany), Momodou Lamin Marong (Interclube, Angola)

Kelvin Trudeau Musako

Football Journalist | TotalEnergies AFCON 2021 Photographer | Media Officer - Kabwe Warriors FC | Graphic Designer | Videographer