By: gambiasports.com
Gaffer Tom Saintfiet has named his Scorpions squad list of players expected to face Benin in Match Day five of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next Saturday.
The Gambia lost 1-0 to Benin in the first leg of the encounter played in Cotonou in their opening game of the qualifiers in June last year.
They will be hoping to pick themselves up from last month’s 1-0 home defeat to Togo when they host the Squirrels at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on November 17.
Scorpions coach Saintfiet has decided to eject FUS de Rabat forward Muhammed Badamosi and Bulgaria-based and on-loan CSKA Sofia striker Ali Sowe from his squad after being unhappy with their performances in the 1-0 defeat to Togo.
Instead, he has decided to hand debut call-ups to Bubacarr Jobe and Ebrima Colley.
Jobe is a 23-year-old striker plying his trade with Mjällby AIF in the Swedish Division 1 (third-tier). He has scored 16 goals in twenty-eight league matches and his recent track record of eight goals in the last straight eight games he’s played suggest Assan Ceesay faces a threat in the starting slot.
Colley meanwhile is an 18-year-old midfielder who features for the youth team of Atalanta, the Primavera.
There’s a return into the squad for Barcelona youngster Alasana Manneh, currently on loan at Bulgarian side SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo.
Mustapha Carayol meanwhile fails to make the squad as he recuperates from injury.
The Scorpions are levelled with Togo on two points in Group D while Benin are tied on seven points with Algeria.
Gambia squad in full:
Goalkeepers – Modou Jobe (El Kanemi Warriors, Nigeria), Baboucarr Gaye (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany)
Defenders – Bubacarr Sanneh (R.S.C. Anderlecht, Belgium), Pa Modou Jagne (FC Zürich, Switzerland), Mamadou ‘Futty’ Danso (UiTM, Malaysia), Mohammed Jallow Mbye (Mjällby AIF, Sweden), Simon Richter and Dawda Ngum (BK Bronshoj, Denmark)
Midfielders – Sulayman Marreh (KAS Eupen, Belgium), Ebrima ‘Ebou’ Adams (Ebbsfleet United, England), Ebrima Sohna (Keşla FK, Azerbaijan), Yusupha Bobb (A.C. Cuneo 1905, Italy), Ebrima Colley (Atalanta, Italy), Alasana Manneh (SFC Etar Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria)
Forwards – Lamin Jallow (Salernitana, Italy), Assan Ceesay (FC Zürich, Switzerland), Ablie Jallow (FC Metz, France), Musa Barrow (Atalanta, Italy), Bubacarr Jobe (Mjällby AIF, Sweden), Adama Jammeh (Étoile Sportive du Sahel, Tunisia)