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Gambia wins
silver at London’s Inner City World Cup |
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Gambia’s
youthful team proved the most talented side in this year’s Inner City
World Cup held September 8 and 9 2007 at London’s Regent’s Park. After
winning the Community Shield trophy earlier in the year, the Gambia’s
Yaram Arts squad increased in its assemble of young, skillful and
target-oriented players. Gambia topped the group that also had
Australia, Iraq and Bolivia. They skipped over Sierra Leone in the round
of sixteen. The Leone Stars turned up thirty minutes late to the
encounter and so were pulled off automatically. Gambia’s Yaram Arts
squad defeated Paraguay in the quarter finals by a lone goal, scored by
Abduraman Njie. With the same spirit, Gambia opened scoring through Ous
Njie in the semi final encounter with defending champions Bulgaria.
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The Bulgarians got an equalizer before
the end of the half. With a pass from midfield ace Yahya Jammeh, Sheikh
Njie scored Gambia’s second goal in the early minutes of the second
half. The match proved tough and rough after goalkeeper Musa Sarr was
red-carded. Defender Dean held the goal post for the last fifteen
minutes of the encounter and stubbornly denied the hard-fighting
Bulgarians an equalizer. And Gambia would meet the Colombian team in the
finals for the second time.
Coach Kabba Bell had the perfect reshuffle of players. He presented a
team with the fastest pace and played a more attacking style, winning
60% ball possession. But Colombia was lucky enough to be one goal up in
the first half. Twenty four minutes into the second half, substitute
Yahya Jammeh flicked a header to oncoming Abduraman Njie who slotted in
a much deserved equalizer. The Inner City World Cup 2007 finals
stretched into penalty shout-out. It looked all over for Colombia when
they missed their first kick, but then Assan Nyang and Dean played wide
for Gambia sending emotional shivers into their fans. Colombia took the
last kick after a misjudged ending by the referee. That kick was the
actual decider and it gave the Colombian team the Inner City World Cup
for the second, both at Gambia’s expense. Colombia won Gambia 2-1 in the
finals of 2003 Inner City World Cup. Gambia’s Yaram Arts team won their
third silver medal in the tournament.
“Maybe we have been unlucky in three
finals in the tournament but the fact remains that we have always
presented the most youthful, skillful and thrilling team in this yearly
tournament,” says Gambia Yaram Arts team Njok Malik. “We will continue
to make amends and fill whatever voids that have kept us from lifting
this trophy. Next year’s tournament is another chance for us and I hope
our Colombia jinx disappears.” |
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By Eric Orji
ukgambians.com
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