Goal Programme - Gambia Football Association - 2006

In the last five years, football in Gambia has experienced a considerable upturn. All seven regions of the nation are represented by clubs in the first, second and third divisions of the national championship. For the last two years, an official women's championship has also been organised. Gambia kicked off the qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations 2004 with an historic draw against Senegal (quarter-finalists at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan? and silver-medallists at the African Cup of Nations 2002) and also enjoyed a short stint at the top of their qualifying group. At youth level, Gambia qualified for the African U-17 Championship for the first time in 2003, when the event was held in Swaziland. Gambia's most famous players are Jatto Ceesay (captain of the national team and currently with Willem II in the Netherlands), Edrissa Sonko, Ebou Sillah (playing for Roda FC in the Netherlands) and Seffo Soley (with Genk in Belgium).

A training centre was built in Banjul as part of project 1 and now the Gambian association is benefiting from a second Goal project. The Goal Bureau approved the erection of association headquarters in Banjul, where Gambian football will benefit from modern infrastructure and from where all football activities will be coordinated. The government has donated the land needed for the new building.