Gambia national football team facts for kids
Nickname(s) | The Scorpions | ||
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Association | Gambia Football Federation (GFF) | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | WAFU (West Africa) | ||
Head coach | Johnny McKinstry | ||
Captain | Omar Colley | ||
Most caps | Omar Colley (55) | ||
Top scorer | Assan Ceesay (13) | ||
Home stadium | Independence Stadium | ||
FIFA code | GAM | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 166 ![]() |
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Highest | 65 (June 2009) | ||
Lowest | 179 (March 2017) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 135 ![]() |
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Highest | 93 (January 1984) | ||
Lowest | 145 (22 November 1993) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Gambia; 9 February 1953) |
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Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Bakau, Gambia; 13 October 2002) |
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Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Guinea; 14 May 1972) |
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Africa Cup of Nations | |||
Appearances | 2 (first in 2021) | ||
Best result | Quarter-finals (2021) |
The Gambia national football team, also known as The Scorpions, plays for The Gambia in international men's football matches. The team is managed by the Gambia Football Federation. Before 1965, the team and country were called British Gambia.
The Scorpions have never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, in 2021, they made history by qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the very first time. The team is part of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Contents
Gambia's Football Journey
Early Matches and Tournaments
The Gambia played its first game on February 9, 1953, when it was known as British Gambia. They won 2–1 against Sierra Leone in a friendly match at home. In April 1963, the team joined the L'Amitié tournament in Senegal. They played against France's amateur team, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), and Gabon. They lost their first match 5–1 to the French amateurs. The Gambia then drew 2–2 with both Upper Volta and Gabon. They did not move on to the next round.
After this tournament, The Gambia did not play again until November 16, 1968. They lost 2–1 to Sierra Leone in an away friendly. In 1972, they played their first African Games qualifier against Guinea and lost 8–0, which knocked them out of the competition.
First Qualification Attempts
In 1975, The Gambia tried to qualify for the 1976 Summer Olympics. They lost 1–0 at home to Guinea and then 6–0 away, losing 7–0 overall.
Later that year, they aimed for the 1976 African Cup of Nations finals. They played against Morocco and lost both games 3–0, making the total score 6–0. On January 30, 1977, The Gambia played its first match against a European team, losing 4–1 to Denmark at home.
Big Wins and Challenges
On October 13, 2002, The Gambia achieved its biggest win ever, beating Lesotho 6–0.
In May 2014, the team faced a challenge. They were banned from all CAF competitions for two years. This happened because they had changed players' ages on purpose.
Recent Success and AFCON Debut
Things started to look up for The Gambia during the qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Even though they didn't qualify, they played well, including two draws against strong team Algeria.
On November 13, 2019, in a qualifier for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, The Gambia beat Angola 3–1 away from home. This was their first ever away win in an AFCON or FIFA World Cup qualifier, after 40 attempts!
Their amazing journey continued, and they qualified for their first major tournament in 2021. As the lowest-ranked team in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, The Gambia surprised everyone. They beat favorites Tunisia in the group stage and finished second without losing a game. They then won against Guinea in the Round of 16, reaching the quarter-finals on their first try. They were eventually knocked out by the host team, Cameroon.
Home Stadium
The team plays its home matches at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, Gambia. This stadium is used for football games, concerts, and other big events. It can hold 30,000 people.
Recent Results
The Gambia national football team has played several matches recently. Here's a summary of their performance in 2024 and early 2025:
2024 Matches
In January 2024, The Gambia played in the 2023 AFCON group stage. They lost all three matches: 3–0 to Senegal, 1–0 to Guinea, and 3–2 to Cameroon.
In June 2024, for the 2026 World Cup qualification, they had a big 5–1 win against Seychelles. However, they then lost 3–2 to Gabon.
In September 2024, during 2025 AFCON qualification, they drew 1–1 with Comoros and lost 2–1 to Tunisia.
In October 2024, they drew 1–1 with Madagascar and then won 1–0 against them in the AFCON qualifiers.
In November 2024, they lost 2–1 to Comoros but then secured a 1–0 away win against Tunisia in the AFCON qualifiers.
2025 Matches
In March 2025, The Gambia played two World Cup qualifiers. They drew 3–3 with Kenya and lost 1–0 to Ivory Coast.
In June 2025, they played two friendly matches. They won 2–1 against Equatorial Guinea and drew 1–1 with Uganda.
Coaching History
Ousmane Saho (1961)
Abdoulie Ngum and Moses Trinn (1970-1971)
Kebba Njie (1977)
Cherno Touray (1975-1978)
Mass Axi Gai (1978)
Kabba Jallow (1978-1983)
Saihou Sarr (1983)
Holger Obermann (1985)
Hans Heiniger (1987–1992)
Sang Ndong (1992-1994)
Sang Ndong (1994–2003)
Antoine Hey (2006–2007)
José Martínez (2007–2008)
Paul Put (2008–2011)
Peter Bonu Johnson (2011–2012)
Luciano Mancini (2012–2013)
Peter Bonu Johnson (2013–2015)
Raoul Savoy (2015)
Sang Ndong (2016–2018)
Tom Saintfiet (2018–2024)
Johnny McKinstry (2024–)
Team Management
The team has a full staff to help the players.
Players
Current Squad
These players were chosen for the friendly matches against Equatorial Guinea and Uganda in June 2025. Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 9, 2025, after the match against Uganda.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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1 | GK | Ebrima Jarju | 16 March 1998 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
22 | GK | Baboucarr Gaye | 24 February 1998 | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | GK | Jordi Bilali Danso | 23 April 2007 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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3 | DF | Sainey Sanyang | 18 April 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
2 | DF | Momodou Lion Njie | 10 December 2001 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
13 | DF | Baboucarr Njie | 5 June 1995 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
14 | DF | Sheriff Sinyan | 19 July 1996 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Musa Jatta | 20 December 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | DF | Muhammed Sanneh | 19 February 2000 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
12 | DF | Alagie Saine | 20 January 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | DF | Omar Gaye | 18 September 1998 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
24 | DF | Dembo Saidykhan | 20 January 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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5 | MF | Saikou Touray | 6 June 2000 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
6 | MF | Mouhamadou Drammeh | 15 May 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
11 | MF | Alasana Manneh | 8 April 1998 | 20 | 1 | ![]() |
18 | MF | Francis Gomez | 28 February 2006 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
17 | MF | Mahmudu Bajo | 15 August 2004 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
4 | MF | Jesper Ceesay | 4 March 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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7 | FW | Gibril Sillah | 7 September 1998 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
8 | FW | Youssoupha Sanyang | 31 August 2005 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
19 | FW | Abdoulie Manneh | 29 September 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
10 | FW | Adama Sidibeh | 25 June 1998 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
20 | FW | Zakaria Sawo | 11 January 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
9 | FW | Alagie Seidou Trawally | 1 March 2001 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
Recent Call-ups
These players have also been called to the Gambia squad in the last year.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Sheikh Sibi | 21 February 1998 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Musa Dibaga | 27 April 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Lamin Saidy | 17 June 2001 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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DF | Omar Colley (captain) | 24 October 1992 | 60 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Joseph Ceesay | 3 June 1998 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Dadi Gaye | 21 March 1995 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Ibou Touray | 24 December 1994 | 27 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | James Gomez | 14 November 2001 | 24 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Jacob Mendy | 27 December 1996 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Edrissa Ceesay | 16 April 2001 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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MF | Ablie Jallow | 14 November 1998 | 38 | 8 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Ebou Adams | 15 January 1996 | 26 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Ebrima Darboe | 6 June 2001 | 19 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Abubakr Barry | 2 July 2000 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Saidou Khan | 5 December 1995 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Hamza Barry | 3 May 1994 | 28 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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FW | Musa Barrow | 14 November 1998 | 48 | 11 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Abdoulie Sanyang | 8 May 1999 | 19 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Ali Sowe | 14 June 1994 | 19 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Alieu Fadera | 3 November 2001 | 15 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Yankuba Minteh | 22 July 2004 | 15 | 5 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Abdoulie Ceesay | 5 January 2004 | 5 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Alassana Jatta | 12 January 1999 | 3 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Suleiman Camara | 7 December 2001 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Muhammed Badamosi | 27 December 1998 | 26 | 4 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Ebrima Colley | 1 February 2000 | 28 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Musa Juwara | 26 December 2001 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue. |
Team Records
Players in bold are still active with Gambia.
Most Games Played
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Omar Colley | 56 | 1 | 2012–present |
2 | Musa Barrow | 44 | 9 | 2018-present |
3 | Pa Modou Jagne | 43 | 2 | 2006–2022 |
4 | Assan Ceesay | 41 | 13 | 2013–present |
5 | Bubacarr Sanneh | 40 | 1 | 2012–present |
6 | Ebrima Sohna | 38 | 3 | 2007–2022 |
7 | Sulayman Marreh | 35 | 1 | 2011–present |
8 | Abdou Jammeh | 33 | 2 | 2006–2015 |
9 | Ablie Jallow | 32 | 8 | 2015–present |
10 | Modou Jobe | 31 | 0 | 2007–present |
Top Goal Scorers
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Assan Ceesay | 13 | 41 | 0.32 | 2013–present |
2 | Musa Barrow | 9 | 44 | 0.2 | 2018–present |
3 | Ablie Jallow | 8 | 32 | 0.25 | 2015–present |
4 | Momoudou Ceesay | 6 | 16 | 0.38 | 2010–2015 |
5 | Omar Samba | 5 | 11 | 0.45 | 1995–2002 |
Jatto Ceesay | 5 | 17 | 0.29 | 1994–2007 | |
Mustapha Jarju | 5 | 26 | 0.19 | 2006–2013 | |
8 | Yankuba Minteh | 4 | 10 | 0.4 | 2022–present |
Muhammed Badamosi | 4 | 24 | 0.17 | 2018–present | |
10 | Samuel Kargbo | 3 | 9 | 0.33 | 1994–1996 |
Njogu Demba-Nyrén | 3 | 15 | 0.2 | 2006–2011 | |
Edrissa Sonko | 3 | 16 | 0.19 | 1996–2008 | |
Aziz Corr Nyang | 3 | 17 | 0.18 | 2002–2011 | |
Bubacarr Jobe | 3 | 17 | 0.18 | 2018–present | |
Mamadou Danso | 3 | 20 | 0.15 | 2011–2019 | |
Ebrima Ebou Sillah | 3 | 24 | 0.13 | 1996–2008 | |
Ebrima Sohna | 3 | 38 | 0.08 | 2007–2022 |
Tournament History
FIFA World Cup
The Gambia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1930 to 1950 | Part of ![]() |
Part of ![]() |
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1954 to 1966 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
1970 to 1978 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | |||||||||
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6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
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To be determined | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||
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To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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Total | – | 0/14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 32 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 33 | 52 |
Africa Cup of Nations
The Gambia has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations twice.
Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
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Part of United Kingdom | |||||||
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Not affiliated to CAF | |||||||
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Did not enter | |||||||
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Did not enter | |||||||
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Withdrew | |||||||
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Did not enter | |||||||
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Withdrew during qualifying | |||||||
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Banned for withdrawing in 1996 | |||||||
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Withdrew | |||||||
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Banned | |||||||
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
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Group stage | 23rd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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To be determined | |||||||
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Total | Quarter-finals | 2/35 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
Honours
Regional Competitions
- Amilcar Cabral Cup
- Runners-up (3 times): 1980, 1985, 2001
- Third place (1 time): 1993
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Gambia para niños