The Gambia’s coach Tom Saintfiet hopes to be able to count on the presence of Gambian international striker who plays for German side Hamburg for the Scorpions upcoming Afcon 2023 preliminary game against Chad later this month.
Scorpion’s coach Tom Saintfiet told The Gambia Football Federation website that he is in talks with Bakery Jatta’s agent with the aim of making him available for the preliminary round of AFCON 2023 qualifying this month.
Saintfiet’s newfound interest in the player follows a landmark decision by a Hamburg district court which dismissed the claim against the Gambian for identity fraud due to insufficient evidence.
“I am aware of the court decision and this morning I spoke to his agent [about his availability for the matches against Chad] but the invitation was due to be sent out earlier so I am awaiting a call from his agent. In theory, we were supposed to make the invitation 15 days before the start of the camp, but hopefully tonight I will know more about the agent,” Saintfiet told gambiaff.org.
If he joins the Scorpions, Bakery could be an important reinforcement for the recent AFcon quarter-finalists.
The Gambia face Chad on 23rd March in Cameroon for the first leg before the return match scheduled for the 29th of this month in Agadir, Morocco.
Both The Gambia and Chad are seeking a place in the group stages of the 2023 Cote d’Ivoire qualifiers.