ONE OF RED STAR’S GREATEST FOOTBALLER OF ALL TIME

Players have come and gone and most are dubbed “legends” due to their performance or achievements. One player who also deserves to be called a legend of Red Star football club in Gunjur, is Yusupha Barrow who despite his age, deserves the title “Legend”.

His achievements are unmatched in the history of Red Star football club. He is the club’s most naturally gifted player of all time; he can conjure up goals from the most unlikely of position. His devastating pace, unsurpassed ball control and the ability to equally strike better with both foot made him a lethal striker.

A career that is going to be a GLITTERING one all started in his childhood team Dortmund FC at the famous “Bombolbaa” street. He then mover to Young Everton a team formed by Bubacarr Kakai Bojang, sadly for the young striker he goes without any title but that does not stop him from proving his attacking capabilities as he finished joint top scorer when his team succumb to a defeat in the final.

Barrow kissing the golden boot award

Barrow’s potentials were quickly noticed by Gamcel FC (senior team of young Everton), despite his young age he was fast racked to senior football making him the youngest ever player to represent the club at top level at the time.

In 2005 the young lad starts playing at high level when his team were in the semi-finals of Gunjur “nawettan” (popular local football competition played during the rainy season in The Gambia), making his debut as a substitute replacing Bubacarr Kakai Bojang the man who eventually turned to be his coach in the end. Yusupha did not manage a goal in the two games but he and his team mates lifted the most valuable league trophy.

From that success on, Yusupha Barrow and his team have been successful more than any other team in Gunjur, winning a record fourteen (14) trophies all of which the lethal striker has be an integral part, finishing as the club top scorer from 2007 to 2016. He won the top scorer of the tournament’s award in five different season, three of which were consecutive.

Goals are the trademark of the forward. A record 51 goal for Red Star FC in Gunjur “Nawettan” from 2005/11, this is a feat not achieved by many stickers across the country at “Nawettan” level.

His clinical ability quickly forced top coaches in the country to came hunting, former Gambia Ports Authority FC head coach Alagie Sarr secure the services of the lad after just watching him played once in the 2009/10 Gunjur league cup final.

At the time players from the urban areas need lot more of quality before they can have a chance to play in Gambia First Division League. The striker had more than the needed talent, despite being a teen, Barrow forced his way straight into the first team of GPA and scored on his debut after coming on as a substitute against Interior FC.

It has been said coach Alagie Sarr always moves along with some of his trusted players whenever he switch clubs. In 2011 Alagie Sarr signed a new contract with Real De Banjul, Yusupha Barrow was one of the few players the coach moved with.

Despite not been used in his more accustomed striking position, playing from the wings Barrow managed two goals as a rare substitute, one in his first game against Steve Biko and the other against Wallidan, due to his lack of pedigree and young age Barrow is a reliable rare substitute. Real De Banjul went on to finish as runners up behind Armed Forces.

At the end of the season Barrow took a decision that shocked many when he pronounced quitting Divisional Football and focused on education. Several appeals were made for the player to do both but he insisted on the basis that there is little chance in football at the time in Gambia.

One would expect such a player of Yusupha’s caliber to represent his community, of course Barrow was one of the regular player called to represent Gunjur at both district and “Super Nawettan” (annul football championship played by fourteen recognized football communities by Gambia Football Federation) level. Yusupha had played a key role in 2007 when Gunjur’s narrowly missed out to Banjul in the semi-finals on penalty shoot-out, scoring much needed goals against Sukuta and a brace against Barra-Essau-Mayamba (BEM). The lad scored many other goals in other games and pre-season games.

At the beginning of 2017/18 Gunjur “nawettan” season, Baarrow announced a shock quitting of local football, his retirement cost Red Star dearly as they nearly got relegated following a group stage exit as well in the first rounds of the knock-out cup.

Watching from the stands, Barrow could not bear the agony his team was going through after a defeat and a draw in their opening two games, reports emerged that “Yusupha is returning to rescue Red Star” in a final must win game. A massive crowd gathered waiting to see how much the striker could salvage the reputation of his team, sadly for him he has to watch his teams early exit from the stands as he sustained an injury at the training ground.

When asked about a possible return to local football this season, the striker responded, “The entire management and supporters of Red Star are still appealing to me to come back, though I didn’t yet take a decision, but likely I will play the nawettan when the season starts”.

If not his decision of quitting football at the near peak of his career, Barrow would have represent Gambia at top level.