MOST OF THE TEAMS ARE SCARED TO RELEGATE- KEBBA SAWANEH

PSV Wellingara coach, Kebba Van Sawaneh, believed teams are frightened to loose their position in the First Division and that’s is the more reason why strikers are not banging in goals in the Gambian top flight league.

In our reporter’s quest to postmortem why goals are raining torrentially in Gambia Football Federation Division 2 while there is normally goal apathy in the Division 1, his searched for answers led him to interview coaches, and in this article he spoke to two First Division coaches and first on his microphone is PSV Wellingara coach Kebba Van Sawaneh.

“Most of the teams are scared to relegate because anytime a team get relegate from first to second Division it is always very difficult to come back. “So, no team want to go to the Second Division.

Anytime teams are playing even if they are an attacking team they always make sure that they set up their teams not to loose. And that’s what is making it difficult for teams to score or conceed goals.” PSV Wellingara’s gaffer explained. The former Gambia international footballer and now the coach of the ferry boys, Gambia Ports Authority, Haji Tunkara.

Who also spoke to our reporter said, there is little difference to pick from teams in the First Division and as a result it is very difficult to out play opponents and score lot of goals unlike the Second Division.

“That’s shows you the First and Second Division are not in the same level. The first Division most of the teams are not far from each other, from the qualities of the players, the tactical awareness, players technical abilities and you name them. “You can see most of the games are very combative, if you look at the statistics too, too many yellow cards.

So obviously there is always touch whenever two First Division teams are playing.” Haji gave his assessment. Haji Tunkara, who was the assistant coach of Gambia Ports Authority when they last won the league in 2010 under Peter Bonu Johnson. Called for patience as he believed in time both players and coaches will do well to improve as it is evident in the number of league players who are turned to professional players.

“As always they will say the players are not scoring, players have to score and coaches have to improve. I think most of our professional players are developed by the local coaches so it is a process and I believe we will all work hard and improve together.” he concluded.

EBRIMA KB SONKO