By Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The newly renovated Independence Stadium welcomed Gambia’s home-based Scorpions for their first match in four years, temporarily freed from a CAF and FIFA ban, as they faced Algeria in a CHAN qualifier.
However, the anticipated electric atmosphere fizzled as empty seats gaped where passionate fans were expected to roar, and the team’s scoring spark remained lost, marking a third straight goalless outing.
Head Coach Alagie Sarr attributed his squad’s lacklustre display to limited preparation time and the pressure of a crowd that was, ironically, barely present.
“If you look at the game, individual players were not performing, maybe they were a little bit panicked because of the crowd, so that made them not perform very well,” Sarr told journalists post-match.
“We couldn’t have enough training because of the FF Cup and the league; we could not gather the players together. We had only two days with the players to try to work on tactics,” he explained, defending his team’s persistent failure to score.
Home-based Scorpions’ inability to find the net is not new. In the previous round of CHAN qualifiers, The Gambia faced Gabon in home and away legs, failing to score in either match. Both games ended in stalemates, with the Scorpions advancing on penalties despite their offensive struggles. Now, with a third straight goalless outing against Algeria, the team’s goal drought has stretched across 270 minutes of competitive play. Sarr pointed to his strikers’ hesitancy to make decisive runs or create scoring opportunities, a flaw that has left the team reliant on defensive resilience rather than attacking flair.
Facing Algeria, a formidable side that reached the final of the last CHAN tournament, only compounds Gambia’s challenge. The Desert Foxes have a disciplined defense and are especially dominant at home, where they will host the crucial return leg. Gambia’s inability to capitalize on home advantage raises concerns about their prospects in Algeria, where breaking their scoring drought against a battle-hardened runner-up team will be daunting task.
The last time Gambia played at Independence Stadium in Bakau was March 25, 2021. Despite social media buzz claiming a sold-out event, the turnout disappointed, even with the stadium’s reduced capacity post-renovation.
At a pre-match press conference yesterday, Sarr justified the 3 p.m. kick-off, believing the heat would favor The Gambia against the North African side. However, Algeria dominated the opening 20 minutes, and The Gambia failed to capitalize, extending their barren streak.
The small crowd’s spark of hope came from Fortune FC’s Adama Kanteh, whose powerful 36th-minute shot and a close-range effort in the 56th minute narrowly missed the target, briefly igniting the sparse crowd. Flashes of brilliance from Pa Modou Sohna, a lively cameo by Ebou Sanyang in midfield, and a solid defensive line offered glimpses of promise.
Looking ahead to the return leg in Algeria, Sarr anticipates challenges with colder weather. He stated that, as they did to the Desert Foxes in the 3 p.m. kick-off, the return leg will be played at a favorable time for their host next week, which they will prepare for.
“We’ll adjust our training to evening sessions to prepare for the second leg,” he said.
Algeria’s coach, Madjid Bougherra, expressed satisfaction with the draw and confidence in securing qualification at home. As runners-up in the last CHAN tournament, Algeria remain the favorites to advance, especially given The Gambia’s ongoing goal drought.
