By Arfang M.S. Camara
Members of the Team Restore Confidence under the leadership of Mr. Sadibou Kamaso have vowed and urged Gambian and football stakeholders to help in restoring the lost hope in Gambia’s football development.
Some of the members of the Team Restore Confidence were speaking during the unveiling of their 10-man executive committee who are aspiring to unseat incumbent Kaba-led executive.
Mass Axi Gaye, former minister of Youth and Sports, who is part of the GPA FC executive committee said that there is no need for everyone to inform each other about the deficiency in the country’s football development
We all are leaving with it especially, club owners. We have been living our life in football. We played, we administered and went up to the highest office of minister of Sports.”
According to him, they shared all their resources, time, energy and everything to develop football but saying that, yet still they are at the back.
“For this reason, I am appealing to all stakeholders not to give any third-term to the Kaba-led executive. They did two terms in running our football. Even if it was good we might consider but the third term is what Africa is no longer in support of. Third term is not even good, especially for someone who didn’t even do anything.”
He added that for good eight years there has been no development, adding that the simplest and more important in football development is the playing ground for youth to showcase their talents.
He urged the 77 people who will be deciding the faith of Gambian football for the 2.5 million Gambians for the next four years to cast their votes wisely
“I want these people to be very careful because if anything goes wrong, they will be held responsible. Whoever is part of it will be held responsible for posterity. For this reason I am appealing to everyone to come together and work towards making a decision for the development of our football.”
Borry Darboe, former chairman, National Sports Council, stated that despite his silence he has been with the Team Restore Confidence.
“Before joining their camp, I told Team Kamaso that, if they don’t want to be open and transparent to Gambians then, I Borry Darboe will not support their camp,” he said.
According to him, he stood with colleagues to fight against sports corruption, adding that they dedicated their time to put smiles on the faces of athletes, be it footballers, basketball and volleyball players or the athletics athletes.
“We have faced a series of challenges with no support. Each time we speak they term us to be as a wick hunter. I always told them that if they are wicked, then we will hunt them. Because they were entrusted with a national treasury which is our sport and that if you mismanage it and we know about it then we will raise an alarm.”
He added that this is a team that he dreamt of, adding that he thinks the acronym is very right “Restore Confidence”.
“In the Gambia everybody has lost hope and if there is a team that has come to restore that confidence. I think it is a team that the whole country should embrace.”
He added that the parents in the house, market women, footballers and the administrators themselves have lost hope in the Gambian football administration.
He noted that the Team Restore Confidence has come to restore the lost confidence across the country.
Alieu Bay Ceesay, president of Wallidan FC said that having different calibers of people (from referees, administration, ministers and others) supporting their camp and endorsing their candidate means that they have trust in their camp and leaders.
He added that people are not supporting their camp for positions or to enrich themselves but rather to see Gambian football develop.
“Football is about youthful things. Let’s stop the mediocre by saying that Team Kamaso are in a hurry to lead the affairs of Gambian football. People cannot fool us anymore and it is about time we remove those kinds of ideologies,” he said.
According to him, Team Kamaso is a confident team, noting that all the leaders of football in the communities have come back and endorsed their team.
He also called on club presidents to come together and change the leadership of football in the country.
Meanwhile, the GFF election nominations began last Thursday, with the election slated for month Saturday 27th August 2022.