RELIEF FOR TOM AND HIS EMPLOYERS AS GAMBIA QUALIFY FOR 2021 AFCON QUALIFIERS.
- Famara Badjie
- Oct 15, 2019
- 4 min read
All indications of a chaotic end were evident at the Independence Stadium, until when Abdoulie Jallow scored a winning penalty and safe Tom Saintfiet and his employers from a potential grip of the angry home supporters, and secured a 3 - 2 win for The Gambia against Djibouti.

Tom Saintfiet
The home supporters twice angrily protest against substitutions made by Tom during the game, and towards the end of the regulation time, GFF officials sniff a threat and a potential pitch invasion should the home side lose, and security was massively reinforced before the final whistle.
But the diminutive Abdoulie Jallow stands between the officials and any potential threat that might befall them as he scored to help level matters for the host after Hussein put Djibouti ahead from the spot and went on to score a winning penalty in the shootout as the Gambia secured a spot in 2021 African cup of nations qualifiers.

The end of it was an ease of pressure for the Gambia's head coach Tom Saintfiet and his backroom staff who has been at the edge of continuous criticism for a poor performance since they took charge of the team some 14 months ago.
Every game is a new lineup for the Gambia, which indicates how Tom is still struggling to establish a team. And the line up against Djibouti which sees Dawda Ngum, Ngine Faye, Abdoulie Jallow, Ebrima Colley and Badamosi all hands a start, shows another experimental line up.

Gambia national team
Against a side like Djibouti, the home supporters were not perceiving anything less than a victory in the return leg of the preliminary qualifiers, and the game has all together been a nervy moment for the visitors as the host look sharp, quick and energetic in the opening minutes.
Ironic, it was the visitors who crafted out the opening goal after Gambia's hard tackling midfield Ebrima Sohna was penalized after he slip and fall on the heel of the attacking Djibouti's Warsama Hassan in the box and Mahdi Houssein keep his nerves to calmly convert the penalty kick as he send Alagie Jobe the wrong way.
Though, the goal doesn't change the tempo and possession of the game as the Gambia continues to dominate with their clever touches and incisive movement, they created and squandered good scoring chances.
It all started when Abdoulie Jallow strike wide from a neat distance when he really should have put technique ahead of force to easily score. Assan Ceesay twice had shots saved by the visitors goalkeeper Innocent Mbonihankuy and Muhammed Badamosi glance a free header into the gloves of the goalkeeper before Assan Ceesay hit an inch wide from tight angle after a lovely true pass from Abdoulie Jallow on the 43rd minute.
However, the host at last halt their chance missing as Jallow levelled matters in the second minute of the additional three minutes going into the break.

The only home based player in the squad Ngine Faye Njie invent some home football in the build-up to the goal. The rightback did exceptionally well to slide and win a challenge down the right and played a fine delivery to Ebrima Colley in the box who controls well with his chest before cutting the ball back to the arriving Abdoulie Jallow who this time around put technique ahead of force as he magnificently tap into the back of the net and send the home supporters into euphoria.

Second period could not bring much changes, as the visitors continue to play under pressure with the host missing good chances. The fulcrum of Gambia’s attack Abdoulie Jallow left the visitors defense in confusion with his dazzling display before been denied in a one-on-one situation by Innocent even though Badamosi hit home the rebound, but was rule out after Jallow was judge for a foul on Innocent in the follow up.
Home crowd angrily roared when Muhammed Badamosi and Ebrima Colley were withdrawn by Tom Saintfiet and replaced with Bubacarr Jobe and Musa Barrow. Perhaps the home fans feel at that moment those were not the substitutions needed. But the host continue to push up.

Diminutive attacker (Jallow) who was making all the creative movements and true passes for the host, later skip inside three Djibouti players down the right as if they were not there, and connect a pass with Babucarr Jobe who skid a shot over the frame from inside the 18yard box with a minute remaining on the regulation time, and the final whistle follows soon after.
And so, the game goes into penalty shootout where Djibouti missed three times as Gambia’s Alagie Jobe pulled two crucial saves from Isman and Abdoulkader, while Yonis Moussa hit over the post, though Gambia’s captain Omar Colley had his shot ricochet off the crossbar and Dawda Ngum was denied by Djibouti’s goalkeeper Innocent, but Abdoulie Jallow stepped up and calmly convert the winning penalty to secure a narrow 3 – 2 win for the Gambia.

Modou Jobe saved Abdoulkader Djama's penalty
The result earns a spot for the Gambia in 2021 AFCON qualifiers as they join Angola, Gabon and DR Congo in group D. The nation may qualify to the group stages of the qualifying rounds but, there is much work to do if the scorpions’ fans are to hope for any positivity in the campaign.
For Djibouti there is nothing to be shame about, they need to held their heads up for showing a heroic performance in the double legged tie. One all the two legs and a narrow lost on penalties was heroic in their own high standard.
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