By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The biggest and the much-talked-about derby in the pinnacle of Gambian Football recently, the clash of class between the two heftiest West Coast Region football clubs is tonight as Brikama United set to battle with league champions Fortune FC at the independence stadium in Bakau.
Separated by the ‘Nyambai’ Forest and dubbed as the biggest and the most exciting game of the season, the rivalry of these two teams come with a variety of elements: pride, conquest, goals and revenge.
Tonight, scores of fans from Brikama to Farato will roll to the Independence Stadium to watch and cheer up these two teams in the battle for superiority.
Fortune Fc was established 9 years after Brikama United, but the Farato-based team have been a thorn in the flesh for the ‘Satayba’ side including a humiliating four goals nothing triumphs over them in this fixture last season. However, this season, Modou Lamin Nyassi’s boys are on form and sit in second place on the table standings while champions Fortune FC dangles in the bottom half of the league.
Modou Lamin Nyassi, the Head Coach of Brikama United told The Fatu Network ahead of the encounter that his team will go out to win the game regardless of whatever happened on the pitch. He noted that Fortune FC is struggling in front of goals but that will not going to make it easy for his team to walk over them.
” I watched their last game. Despite their struggle, they have a team to upset us. What I have been telling my players is to respect them as champions and play the game according to our plan”, Charly told TFN.
Fortune FC turned doubters into believers last season with thrillers in every game. The petroleum boys won the league in style last season. However, this season, they have been consistently inconsistent in picking and dropping points.
Speaking to TFN, Patrick Sylva, Fortune’s mesmerising attacker who scored 3 goals and assisted 3, said that game is a ‘must win’ game for the champions.
” The mood here is high. This game is a must-win game for us, so we are going all out to win”, the attacker enthusiastically told TFN.
Fortune FC embarrassed Brikama United in this fixture last season with a thumping 4-0 win. The second round witnessed another tense clash but the ten-man Fortune FC managed to share scores with Brikama at the end of the game.
If Brikama United wins tonight, they will close to gap with Real De Banjul to one point. Fortune FC on the other hand stands hopeful that they will win tonight to reshape their season.
9 pm sharp is the kick-off time for this epic and nail-biting West Coast Region derby in the Gambia Football Federation Division One League.
