By Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
There is massive excitement in the West Coast Region’s capital of Brikama as the Box-Ba mini-stadium nears completion with the laying, rolling and installation of exotic artificial turf.
For two years, Gambian football devotees in Brikama and its surrounding villages will either pay fares to the Independence Stadium in Bakau, Basori or Jarra Soma to watch The Gambia Football Federation Division One and Two games due to the incomplete work at Box Ba Mini stadium.
However, football enthusiasts showed a glimmer of hope Yesterday with the commencement of the rolling and installation of brand-new artificial turf that catches sight of football games coming back on the pitch regarded as the theatre of Gambian Football.
Once a noisy area, the Bax-Ba Mini Stadium went quite quiet for two years as the country’s football governing body, GFF explore help to renovate the field. Two days ago, the Federation reported having signed a contract with a Senegalese company to finish the renovation of the field.
Reacting to this development, Sarjo Sowe, a football aficionado who serves as the third Vice President of the West Coast Region Football Association, said that the work is long overdue but was delighted that it is finally in progress and football will soon resume home.
“I am thrilled that this is very close to actualization. For two years, I have been suffering following Brikama United to and from different venues for their games. I am quite hopeful that we will go back to Box-Ba soon”, Sarjo told The Fatu Network.
Another football fanatic, Yusupha Cham, a strong fan of the defending league champions, said that he will be very happy watching his beloved Fortune Football Club playing in Brikama. The young man noted that it is financially consuming travelling to Bakau to watch games from Brikama.
“I will spend almost D500 every game on a Taxi to travel from Brikama to Bakau to watch my team. This is a lot of money” he said.
Brikama is a footballing town famous for producing extremely good football stars for The Gambia national team, from the junior category to the senior squad. The work at the Mini Stadium scratched off the fanfare in the rainy football jamboree locally called ‘Naweetan’ for two years.
Ebrima KB Sonko is a Brikama-based sports journalist. He lamented the challenges that come with commuting from Brikama to Bakau to watch games.
He describes the journey as hectic.
To Mr. Sonko, Box Ba was his everything.
“Nothing makes me happier than seeing that finally, the construction is near to completion,” he gladly told Fatu Networks.
Fatu Network understands that the pavilions, dressing rooms and toilets will all be renovated. However, it is not clear when the work will finally be done on the field before football resumes. The Gambia Football Federation has been using only four venues across the country to play its first and second division male and female games.
