By Ousman Trawally
G Daily Sports: How do you see Gambian football? Is there any hope for the future?
Jammeh: We may have challenges like many poor countries, but we have certainly achieved a lot of progress and growth. I said this comparing now to what used to be when I played in the national league and for the national team. The future looks bright, with the support of Government, increase in private investors (buyers) investing in the league and an increased Gambian player pool plying their trade abroad. This will strengthen our national teams, football, and serve as motivation for players to take the game seriously.
G Daily Sports: What would you consider the main challenges of our football?
Jammeh: The Game faces a lot of challenges. There is no doubt about that. However we may all have different perspectives as to what the problems are. For me the first two problems are the poor nature of our sporting infrastructure and the lack of or very minimal investment in clubs and players.
G Daily Sports: How about the kind of coaches or the players we have?
Jammeh: I would not want to get into the politics of that, but all of us who are paying attention to the development trajectory of our game know that despite the progress achieved, there is still great room for improvement. We can still do better both in terms of management quality and player performance.
G Daily Sports: What will you attribute poor outing in the just concluded AFCON?
Jammeh: In the last four years we have been in the AFCON twice. That’s unprecedented and we must acknowledge that as an achievement in truth. In the first campaign, we achieved above expectations but in the recent campaign we could have done better but due to a number of factors we didn’t. For me instead of crying over spilled milk, we’d rather work together and make sure we prevent the milk from spilling out next time.
G Daily Sports: What do you think needs to be done to make Gambian football better and more progressive?
Jammeh: It is a collective responsibility; every stakeholder has a role to play, which must be played with the best of intentions for the sake of the game. With the efficient guidance of the football federation and the commitment of all stakeholders we can create a cohesive environment that is all inclusive and with that we can achieve more. However, with all certainty the quality, quantity and distribution of our infrastructure needs a lot of improvement. The Government, the local governments, the communities, and the clubs all have a stake in making sure we get this right.
G Daily Sports: Can you tell us about your under-23 team; how prepared are you for the upcoming campaigns?
Jammeh: For now there is no plan or preparation since we don’t have any competitive match until after the Paris Olympics in 2025.
G Daily Sports: What kind of support do you want from the government or GFF?
Jammeh: You will only need support if the team is active, but like I said so far, we are inactive because we don’t have any competition at the moment.
G Daily Sports: Any foreseeable challenges or problems for the under-23 team?
Jammeh: The main challenge is me as a coach. The lack of activity for several months as a young and ambitious coach is frustrating. And now that I have achieved the pinnacle of licensure, I am hungry to fight and achieve as a manager.
G Daily Sports: And how do you plan to tackle this?
Jammeh: I will not rest on my laurels. I will look for opportunities at home and abroad. Once I get that chance, I will work harder than ever to make a significant mark as a coach.
G Daily Sports: Any ambition to coach the national squad?
Jammeh: I am a Gambian and I want to give everything to the best of my ability to contribute to the growth of our game. Certainly no one has the birth right to any national position, but I have to add that the ultimate decision to choose the coach of the national team rests with the federation. All I know is that I am ready for any management challenge thrown at me.
Furthermore, my two years Uefa Pro course (highest football license), provides me with a clear understanding of player and team development and the role of Head coach at professional level. It also helps me to develop and apply technical policy and philosophy, creating a winning team and high-performance culture.
G Daily Sports: Thanks for your time
Jammeh: You are most welcome
