By Essa Bah
The Gambia U-20 top midfielder, Lamarana Jallow, who fantastically exhibited his talents in both Africa U-20 championships in Mauritania and in WAFU in Senegal, has been unanimously voted by fans as the player of the tournament.
In Mauritania he made a successful breakthrough by scoring twice and made numerous assists.
The U-20 boys started the competition in Mauritania poorly, after they lost their first game to Morocco by a goal to zero and drew one-all with Tanzania in the second game after Bojang’s (Major) goal was cancelled late on.
That slow start to the competition dented a huge blow for the Gambia’s progress in the first round, living them with a mountain to climb against a well-organized and a stubborn Ghana side.
Jallow Lamarana’s beautifully taken free-kick and a sublime assist help sealed a 2-1 victory for the young scorpions. His heroic performance in the competition raised eyebrows to the football world, receiving praises both in The Gambia and in the outside world.
He collected two Man of the Match awards one against Ghana after a fine display and the other against the Central African Republic when he helped sealed Gambia’s win and progress to the semi-final. His composure and the ability to control the tempo of the game in the middle of the park were commended by many.
Some described him as the Gambia’s Toni Kroos as he has the eyes to see something in the pitch that many cannot see.
This award will serve as a motivation to the young Lama as he has a huge dream and hoping for many individuals and collecting awards.
