By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
Yankuba Minteh, a highly-rated Gambian left-footed right-winger, has said the Scorpions are prepared to give their all in the first-ever Senegambian derby against their neighbors and the reigning African champions, Senegal, in the senior men’s Africa Cup of Nations on Monday.
Despite the superiority of the Teranga Lions, Minteh said the team isn’t listening to comparisons and that they are ready to show their true intentions on the pitch.
“Football is eleven V [versus] eleven. [There] is only one thing that is between the teams, which is the ball, and you all fight for that one. I heard people saying outside that The Gambia is going to lose against Senegal 5-0, 4-0 — we are not listening to them.
“All we have to do is that we have to fight on the pitch, show them we can do it,” Minteh said speaking to the GFF media.
Considering the various things at stake in this game, Minteh, who is among the youngsters expected to light up the competition, vowed that the players will strive to make The Gambia proud on the pitch while acknowledging the tough nature of the game.
“We will try our best to make them [Gambians] happy because it is not easy. It is a big game also, but we [are] going to die for them and we [are] going to die for the whole nation. We are not only here for ourselves, but [for] the whole country. We will try our best to give all that we have,” Minteh stated.
The Scorpions will take on the Teranga Lions of Senegal tomorrow at 2 p.m. GMT.
It will be the first time the two neighboring nations face each other in the Africa Cup of Nations. The last time the two sides played was in a World Cup qualifier in 2008, which ended in a one-all draw.
