GFF apologises Thursday, April 24, 2014 The Gambia Football Federation has apologised to Gambians for the administrative blunder that cost the country a place in the African Youth Championship in neighbouring Senegal next year. The Federation has also accepted responsibility for what happened. Speaking on the matter on record for the first time in a press conference at the Football House in Kanifing yesterday, Federation president Mustapha Kebbeh described the CAF decision as unfortunate and a bitter pill to swallow. “This is a very unfortunate incident and I am not sure there is any Gambian who is as sad as I am. For what I wished was to ensure that Gambia’s darling U-20 qualify to represent and raise the flag of The Gambia high. It is unfortunate,” he told a packed room with journalists in the second press conference convened within 72 hours since the fallout. According to him, the GFF executive is very sad, desperate, and dejected seeing the Gambia going through such a “trying time”. “I want to put on record, that as the leader of The Gambia’s Football Federation that we have taken full accountability and responsibility for what had happened though unfortunate,” insisting that the GFF never saw the circulation from Caf indicating the issue of players age. Speaking further, a visibly disappointed Kebbeh noted that Gambians need each other today more than before, and therefore urged all to stand in unison in working towards raising The Gambia’s flag to higher heights. He added that there is no need for what he referred to as the ‘blame game’ or behaving in manners that are not acceptable to each other. “I have been reliably informed that in some of the radio programmes, some were making certain remarks that were definitely undesirable. Every genuine Gambian will never wish to see the Gambia’s darling U-20 disqualified. If it happens, it is a learning process for me even though it is hard and a bitter pill to swallow,” Kebbeh further told reporters. Since the announcement by CAF on Monday, the GFF boss disclosed that his Federation has been vigorously engaged with the Confederation of African Football and other stakeholders to map out a way forward for the Gambia’s football development. He also disclosed that they will take decisive actions by inviting the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the matter thoroughly for recommendations, which he vowed the GFF will implement to the latter. US$1.1M secured Speaking on a different subject, Kebbeh who doubles as president of Steve Biko Football Club disclosed that his Federation has secured US$1.1M (one million, one hundred thousand dollars) from FIFA for two seperate projects targeting grassroots and youth football development in the country. “We have also secured funding to refurbish the National Technical Training Centre (the FIFA Goal Project at Old Yundum) including a big package for grassroots football development,” he concluded. Author: Alieu Ceesay
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 15:47:55 +0000
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