By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The Gambia Football Federation has taken up responsibility by stepping in to take care of the air tickets of the Gambia National Under 20 team as well as settling their standing WAFU bonuses and allowances for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations with each player receiving an improved 52 thousand dalasi (D52,000) amidst the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ 7 million dalasis pledged still hanging in the air.
The Fatu Network can authoritatively confirm that young scorpions were paid their standing WAFU Zone A bonuses of fifteen (15) thousand dalasi each and received another thirty-seven (37) thousand dalasis allowance for their trip to Cairo, Egypt for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
“They have settled the payment. We have been paid our WAFU owed bonuses and 37 thousand dalasis for camping and travelling. They knew the consequences of not paying us. We were surprised with the 37 thousand, to be honest,” an insider in the camp told The Fatu Network.
Baboucarr Camara, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Gambia Football Federation, confirmed to The Fatu Network that indeed the payment of the standing WAFU bonus and the payment for the camping and travelling allowance for Africa U20 Cup of Nations have been paid to the players. He further informed this medium that the Gambia Football Federation in fact purchased the air tickets for the team to travel while waiting for the government through the ministry of youth and sports to fulfil their pledge of seven million dalasis as part of their sponsorship for the young scorpions for the tournament in Egypt.
“It was paid by the GFF. The Ministry commits to pay 7 million as part of their contribution to the campaign of AFCON but they’re yet to make the payment.
“We’re waiting on them to pay, but in the meantime, we managed to pay them these monies as well as to purchase the air tickets for their travel,” Mr Camara told TFN.
The young scorpions left the shores of the Gambia on Tuesday night, February 14, via Turkey and arrived in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday where they had a test game against Mozambique.
They are expected to fly to Alexandria, where they will be playing their group matches.
