Goal Programme - Gambia Football Association - 2000

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).

On 9 February 2002, the Goal Bureau endorsed a project to build a technical centre in Banjul, the cost of which will be covered by Goal and the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme. The complex will be used for general development work in Gambia. As part of the Gambia Football Association's long-term plans, the focus will fall on youth and women's football until 2008. Work will be carried out to form national teams at U-17, U-20 and U-23 level. The centre will then be used for as an education centre and as an academy for the most promising footballers among the nation's girls and boys. The national association hopes to extend the upturn of recent years and to improve performances in international competitions through youth development work.