Others • Created October 24, 2009 22:57

Baby Scorpions hope to sting

Gambia, the smallest country on mainland Africa, roared through the continent’s U-17 championship in Algeria, edging Ghana and the hosts for a second consecutive title. These results, for a team previously considered a football backwater, are proof positive of a substantial youth revolution. But the team here in Nigeria will be without 11 regular squad […]

Baby Scorpions hope to sting
Baby Scorpions hope to sting

Gambia, the smallest country on mainland Africa, roared through the continent’s U-17 championship in Algeria, edging Ghana and the hosts for a second consecutive title.

These results, for a team previously considered a football backwater, are proof positive of a substantial youth revolution. But the team here in Nigeria will be without 11 regular squad members, among them a good number of influential attacking players.

“We’re happy with the team right now, but we won’t know really what we’re capable of until we play our first game,” Egyptian head coach Tariq Saigy told FIFA.com with the aid of assistant coach and part-time interpreter Lamin Sambou. “We felt it was best to change some players in our team, to be on the safe side and not to be concerned when FIFA conducts their MRI scans [FIFA announced early last month that random MRI tests would be conducted at the finals. These tests will not determine the players’ age, but would confirm definitively if a player is older than 17].”

In their first friendly after the changes, just a month before the finals here in Nigeria, Gambia were humbled 5-0 by the USA in London. Results changed for the better in short order, however, and they look to be coming together. “We’re much stronger now than when we first started with the new lads,” added the Egyptian, three years in charge of the Gambian juniors.

Even so, both head coach and assistant are playing a nervous waiting game ahead of their opener against Asian champions Iran at Calabar’s U.J. Esuene Stadium. “We have to wait and see. Friendlies are only friendlies,” Sambou said. “After our first game here we will know how we measure up. We’re waiting to see what happens.


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