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Gambia national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Gambia women's national football team.
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Gambia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Scorpions
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
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 166 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 65 (June 2009)
Lowest 179 (March 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 135 Increase 3 (3 March 2019)
Highest 93 (January 1984)
Lowest 145 (22 November 1993)
First international
 British Gambia 2–1 Sierra Leone
(Gambia; 9 February 1953)
Biggest win
 Gambia 6–0 Lesotho 
(Bakau, Gambia; 13 October 2002)
Biggest defeat
 Guinea 8–0 Gambia 
(Guinea; 14 May 1972)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 2 (first in 2021)
Best result Quarter-finals (2021)

The Gambia national football team (recognized as The Gambia by FIFA) represents the Gambia in men's international football and is controlled by the Gambia Football Federation. Until 1965, the team and the country were known as British Gambia. The team has never qualified for the World Cup. In 2021, Gambia qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the first time in history. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

History

Under the name British Gambia, the team played their first ever game on 9 February 1953 against Sierra Leone, winning 2–1 at home in a friendly. In April 1963, the team entered the L'Amitié tournament in Senegal, a competition mainly for French-speaking nations. They were drawn in a group with France's amateur team, the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Gabon. Their first match was lost 5–1 to the French amateurs on 11 April. The Gambia drew 2–2 with the Upper Volta on 13 April, and had the same result the very next day versus Gabon. The Gambia did not advance to the next round.

After the tournament in Senegal, the Gambia did not play another match until 16 November 1968, when they travelled to Sierra Leone to play its team in a friendly and lost 2–1. They played again in Sierra Leone in The Gambia's next match on 24 April 1971, and the hosts won 3–1. On 2 May 1971, The Gambia travelled to Guinea for a friendly and lost 4–2. On 14 May 1972, The Gambia returned to Guinea for their first African Games qualifier and lost 8–0 and were knocked out.

In 1975, the Gambia entered its first qualification campaign for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. They were drawn in a qualifier against Guinea, and lost the first leg 1–0 at home on 27 April 1975. The second leg was lost 6–0 in Guinea on 1 June as Guinea advanced 7–0 on aggregate.

In August of that same year, the Gambia entered their first qualification for the African Cup of Nations, with the aim of reaching the 1976 finals in Ethiopia. They were drawn in a two-legged qualifier against Morocco and lost the first leg 3–0 away on 10 August. They lost by the same score in their home leg on 24 August and Morocco advanced 6–0 on aggregate.

After the qualification campaign for the 1976 finals, The Gambia played their first match against a full European side, losing a home friendly 4–1 to Denmark on 30 January 1977.

On 13 October 2002, the team got their biggest ever victory in international competition, a 6–0 victory against Lesotho.

In May 2014, the Gambia was banned from all CAF competitions for two years after deliberately falsifying players' ages.

The nation's fortunes improved in qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Although they failed to qualify, they took it to the final round of games, including drawing twice with African giants Algeria.

On 13 November, in their first Group D match of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, Gambia defeated Angola 1–3 in Luanda. This was the Scorpions' first away win in an AFCON or FIFA World Cup qualifier ever, at their 40th attempt. An impressive campaign saw them qualify for their first ever major tournament that year. As the lowest-ranked team in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, the Gambia defied the odds by defeating favourites Tunisia in the group stage, finishing unbeaten in 2nd place in the group. A further win against Guinea in the Round of 16 saw them reach the quarter-finals at their first attempt, eventually going out to tournament hosts Cameroon.

Home stadium

Gambia v guinea
Football fans watching Gambia v Guinea

Independence Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bakau, Gambia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, although it is also used for music concerts, political events, trade fairs and national celebrations. The stadium holds 30,000 people.

Results and fixtures

Main article: Gambia national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024

2025

Coaching history

  • Switzerland Hans Heiniger (1987–1992)
  • The Gambia Sang Ndong (1992-1994)
  • The Gambia Sang Ndong (1994–2003)
  • Germany Antoine Hey (2006–2007)
  • Spain José Martínez (2007–2008)
  • Belgium Paul Put (2008–2011)
  • The Gambia Peter Bonu Johnson (2011–2012)
  • Italy Luciano Mancini (2012–2013)
  • The Gambia Peter Bonu Johnson (2013–2015)
  • Spain Switzerland Raoul Savoy (2015)
  • The Gambia Sang Ndong (2016–2018)
  • Belgium Tom Saintfiet (2018–2024)
  • Northern Ireland Johnny McKinstry (2024–)

Management and staff

Position Name
Head Coach Northern Ireland Johnny McKinstry
Assistant Coaches The Gambia Sulayman Ceesay
The Gambia Omar Barrow
Goalkeeping Coach The Gambia Musa Touray
Fitness Coach The Gambia Edrissa Jatta
Match Analyst The Gambia Alieu Drammeh
Doctors The Gambia Dr. Ousman Colley
The Gambia Dr. Alhagie Jawara
Physiotherapists The Gambia Ebrima Jallow
The Gambia Modou Jarra
The Gambia Alassan Fofanah
The Gambia Hassan Darboe
Team Coordinator The Gambia Adama Sanyang
Technical Director The Gambia Sang Ndong

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Comoros and Tunisia on 15 and 18 November 2024.

Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2024, after the match against Tunisia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Ebrima Jarju (1998-03-16) 16 March 1998 (age 27) 6 0 Estonia Paide
1GK Sheikh Sibi (1998-02-21) 21 February 1998 (age 27) 5 0 Italy Virtus Verona
1GK Lamin Saidy (2001-06-17) 17 June 2001 (age 23) 2 0 The Gambia Real de Banjul
2DF Omar Colley (captain) (1992-10-24) 24 October 1992 (age 32) 58 1 Greece PAOK
2DF Ibou Touray (1994-12-24) 24 December 1994 (age 30) 27 0 England Stockport County
2DF James Gomez (2001-11-14) 14 November 2001 (age 23) 24 1 Denmark Odense
2DF Joseph Ceesay (1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Italy Cesena
2DF Jacob Mendy (1996-12-27) 27 December 1996 (age 28) 3 0 Wales Wrexham
2DF Dadi Gaye (1995-03-21) 21 March 1995 (age 30) 2 0 Norway Strømsgodset
2DF Baboucarr Njie (1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 29) 2 0 United States San Antonio
2DF Momodou Lion Njie (2001-12-10) 10 December 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Norway KFUM Oslo
3MF Ablie Jallow (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998 (age 26) 38 8 France Metz
3MF Ebou Adams (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29) 24 1 England Derby County
3MF Ebrima Darboe (2001-06-06) 6 June 2001 (age 23) 18 0 Italy Frosinone
3MF Alasana Manneh (1998-04-08) 8 April 1998 (age 27) 18 0 Denmark Odense
3MF Mahmudu Bajo (2004-08-15) 15 August 2004 (age 20) 4 0 Slovakia FC DAC 1904
3MF Abubakr Barry (2000-07-02) 2 July 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Austria Austria Wien
4FW Musa Barrow (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998 (age 26) 46 9 Saudi Arabia Al Taawoun
4FW Ali Sowe (1994-06-14) 14 June 1994 (age 30) 18 1 Turkey Çaykur Rizespor
4FW Abdoulie Sanyang (1999-05-08) 8 May 1999 (age 26) 17 0 Croatia Hajduk Split
4FW Alieu Fadera (2001-11-03) 3 November 2001 (age 23) 13 0 Italy Como
4FW Yankuba Minteh (2004-07-22) 22 July 2004 (age 20) 13 4 England Brighton & Hove Albion
4FW Abdoulie Ceesay (2004-01-05) 5 January 2004 (age 21) 3 1 Estonia Paide
4FW Suleiman Camara (2001-12-07) 7 December 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Spain Racing de Santander
4FW Alassana Jatta (1999-01-12) 12 January 1999 (age 26) 1 1 England Notts County

Recent call ups

The following players have also been called up to the Gambia squad within the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Lamin Sarr (2001-03-11) 11 March 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Sweden Lunds BK v.  Gabon, 11 June 2024
GK Modou Jobe (1988-10-27) 27 October 1988 (age 36) 31 0 South Africa Black Leopards 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
GK Baboucarr Gaye (1998-02-24) 24 February 1998 (age 27) 21 0 Bulgaria Lokomotiv Sofia 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Edrissa Ceesay (2001-04-16) 16 April 2001 (age 24) 3 0 Serbia Jedinstvo Ub v.  Tunisia, 8 September 2024
DF Sainey Sanyang (2003-04-18) 18 April 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Bulgaria CSKA Sofia v.  Tunisia, 8 September 2024
DF Muhammed Sanneh (2000-02-19) 19 February 2000 (age 25) 12 0 Free Agent v.  Gabon, 11 June 2024
DF Omar Gaye (1998-09-18) 18 September 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Free Agent v.  Gabon, 11 June 2024
DF Dembo Saidykhan (2004-01-20) 20 January 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Canada Vancouver Whitecaps 2 v.  Gabon, 11 June 2024
DF Bubacarr Sanneh (1994-11-14) 14 November 1994 (age 30) 40 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina FK Zvijezda 09 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Dawda Ngum (1990-09-02) 2 September 1990 (age 34) 21 0 Sweden Ariana 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Noah Sonko Sundberg (1996-06-06) 6 June 1996 (age 28) 18 0 Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Saidy Janko (1995-10-22) 22 October 1995 (age 29) 10 0 Switzerland Young Boys 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF Sulayman Bojang (1997-09-03) 3 September 1997 (age 27) 6 0 Norway Skeid 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Ismaila Jome (1994-11-04) 4 November 1994 (age 30) 2 0 United States Oakland Roots 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF Alagie Saine (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Denmark Horsens 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Saidou Khan (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 29) 1 0 England Swindon Town v.  Madagascar, 14 October 2024
MF Hamza Barry (1994-05-03) 3 May 1994 (age 31) 28 1 Denmark Vejle v.  Tunisia, 8 September 2024
MF Yusupha Bobb (1996-06-22) 22 June 1996 (age 28) 21 0 Morocco KAC Marrakech v.  Gabon, 11 June 2024
MF Sulayman Marreh (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29) 35 1 Serbia Železničar Pančevo 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
MF Bubacarr Jobe (1994-11-21) 21 November 1994 (age 30) 10 3 Sweden Kristianstad 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Sainey Njie (2001-08-30) 30 August 2001 (age 23) 5 0 Serbia Radnik Surdulica 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Jesper Ceesay (2003-05-04) 4 May 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Sweden Norrköping 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF Saikou Touray (2000-06-06) 6 June 2000 (age 24) 0 0 France Grenoble 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Muhammed Badamosi (1998-12-27) 27 December 1998 (age 26) 26 4 Serbia Čukarički v.  Madagascar, 14 October 2024
FW Ebrima Colley (2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 (age 25) 28 2 Switzerland Young Boys v.  Tunisia, 8 September 2024
FW Musa Juwara (2001-12-26) 26 December 2001 (age 23) 5 0 Denmark Vejle v.  Tunisia, 8 September 2024
FW Adama Sidibeh (1998-06-25) 25 June 1998 (age 26) 4 1 Scotland St Johnstone v.  Tunisia, 8 September 2024
FW Adama Bojang (2004-05-28) 28 May 2004 (age 20) 1 0 France Reims v.  Gabon, 11 June 2024
FW Assan Ceesay (1994-03-17) 17 March 1994 (age 31) 41 13 Saudi Arabia Damac 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
FW Lamin Jallow (1994-07-22) 22 July 1994 (age 30) 19 1 Italy Fidelis Andria 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW Dembo Darboe (1998-08-17) 17 August 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Kazakhstan Astana 2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE

WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Records

Players in bold are still active with Gambia.

Most appearances

Omar Colley (cropped)
Omar Colley is Gambia's most capped player with 56 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
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 goalscorer

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
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

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1950 Part of  United Kingdom Part of  United Kingdom
1954 to 1966 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
1970 to 1978 Did not enter Did not enter
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 1
Mexico 1986 2 1 0 1 3 6
Italy 1990 Did not enter Did not enter
United States 1994 Withdrew Withdrew
France 1998 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 5
South Korea Japan 2002 2 0 0 2 0 3
Germany 2006 2 1 0 1 2 3
South Africa 2010 6 2 3 1 6 3
Brazil 2014 6 1 1 4 4 11
Russia 2018 2 0 1 1 2 3
Qatar 2022 2 0 0 2 1 3
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 3 1 0 3 9 9
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total – 0/14 – – – – – – 30 7 6 17 31 47

Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 to Ghana 1963 Part of United Kingdom
Tunisia 1965 Not affiliated to CAF
Ethiopia 1968 to Egypt 1974 Did not enter
Ethiopia 1976 Did not qualify
Ghana 1978 Did not enter
Nigeria 1980 to Morocco 1988 Did not qualify
Algeria 1990 Withdrew
Senegal 1992 Did not qualify
Tunisia 1994 Did not enter
South Africa 1996 Withdrew during qualifying
Burkina Faso 1998 Banned for withdrawing in 1996
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Withdrew
Mali 2002 to South Africa 2013 Did not qualify
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Banned
Gabon 2017 Did not qualify
Egypt 2019
Cameroon 2021 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 4 3
Ivory Coast 2023 Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 7
Morocco 2025 Did not qualify
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined
2029
Total Quarter-finals 2/34 8 3 1 4 6 10

Honours

Regional

  • Amilcar Cabral Cup
    • Runners-up (3): 1980, 1985, 2001
    • Third place (1): 1993

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Gambia para niños

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