The Scorpions of the Gambia will today, on Wednesday play against Chad in the first leg of the 2023 Total Energies African Cup of Nations Preliminaries in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The game which is scheduled to play at the Ahmadu Ahidjo Stadium is slated for 4pm Gambian time.
Today’s encounter in Cameroon, is seen as the home game for Chad, who likewise The Gambia had their stadiums banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for not meeting the required standards.
The Gambian side who conducted their mandatory Covid19 test at the Hilton Hotel, Yaounde, are hoping for a positive result today, after their impressive performances at their first ever Afcon tournament in Cameroon, reaching the quarter-finals.
Captain Omar Colley will miss today’s game after being forced off injured in the 89th minute of Sampdoria’s 2-0 defeat of Venezia on Sunday.
He did a scan yesterday, Tuesday, to confirm the extent of the damage but the initial signs do not look serious and is expected to be fit for the second leg on Tuesday 29 March 2022 in Agadir, Morocco.
Ablie Jallow who scored The Gambia’s first ever goal at an AFCON will miss the double-header matches due to the knee injury he suffered against Guinea in the last 16 of the tournament.
Forward players, Lamin Jallow, Yusupha Njie, goalkeeper Sheikh Sibi, defenders Dawda Ngum and Mohammed Mbye also miss out.
The West African Scorpions side will be hoping for another taste of Africa’s flagship tournament when they face Chad in Yaoundé and Agadir for a place in the group stage of the qualifiers.
The Gambia will host Chad in the return leg in Agadir, Morocco on Tuesday 29 March 2022
