Gambia conceal arrival itinerary

The Taifa Stars next available opponents in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers Gambia have concealed their arrival itinerary ahead of the Sunday’s first leg tie to be played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The team has not precisely disclosed its actual time of arrival to the Tanzania FA, the size of the contingent and flight details it is believed. The Tanzania Football Federation’s information officer Boniface Wambura said the team was expected to arrive yesterday afternoon but there was no official communication to confirm exactness of their entourage.
Gambia has never met the Taifa Stars in any match before whether competitive or friendly. The Gambia side drew goalless with visiting Morocco in the first leg of the qualifier openers played in Banjul last weekend.
By yesterday afternoon, TFF officials were doing a guess work on the team’s arrival. Gambia and Morocco share a point apiece as Cote d’Ivoire are on top of the qualifier group after wrapping a comprehensive 2-0 goals victory over Taifa Stars in Abidjan last Saturday.
However, Gambia has been stepping up campaign to win the global football berth as they seek to emulate neighbours Senegal. Taifa Stars seek to avoid home disappointment as Danish coach Kim Poulsen has vowed to lead his boys into the qualifier’s first victory through subduing Gambia.
The coach is searching for his first victory since taking over the job to win public appreciation. Another defeat in the qualifiers is likely to send a huge wave of disappointment to home fans who have been eagerly waiting to know how the changing of the coaches would be beneficial.
While Stars will host Gambia in Dar es Salaam, Cote d’Ivoire will have to travel to Rabat to play against Morocco in the group’s hottest qualifier duel. Without a point and without a goal, Taifa Stars are yet to shrug off the underdog tag.
Home fans have been sympathetic when tars went down to the Ivorians last Saturday but the degree of tolerance should not be expected with a second back to back defeat should the team lose on Sunday.
The Scorpions were initially scheduled to land in Tanzania on June 6 but were held up at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi following a mishap at the airport earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Gambia Sports Online has learnt that the team arrived in Tanzania on Friday morning after a hectic two days journey and might have their first training session today.
Scorpions’ Kuwait-based defender Abdou Jammeh alias Tea Boy confirmed about their arrival and posted on his official page, “Finally in Tanzania after a hectic 2 days journey without training...Inshallah begin our preparations this afternoon.........”
Neither Gambia nor Taifa Stars have qualified for the World cup championship as they seek to break the longstanding voodoo.
Last Updated (Friday, 08 June 2012 21:25)


