This year’s Africa Cup of Nations has certainly not been short on surprises and amid the shock results and unexpected incidents, there are the wonderful stores of the supposed minnows upsetting their more high-profile counterparts to make it through to the knockout stages.
Making their tournament debut and expected essentially to make up the numbers in the expanded 24-team event, Gambia arrived in Cameroon as the lowest FIFA-ranked team in the competition at 150 in the world, foisted into a group many believed would be topped by Tunisia and/or Mali.
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Their opening match in Limbe against another unfancied side in the form of Mauritania was expected to be a battle for the wooden spoon in the group but with the format of the competition allowing third-place teams a chance at progression, there was some added motivation going into the game.
“I was really happy after scoring that goal,” Jallow said afterwards. “If you noticed, I couldn’t even really savour it, because it was so awesome.
“We saw images of Gambia, crowds, jubilation, it’s really good for the country.”
Progression to the last-16 was confirmed with another historic moment in their final group game against Tunisia.
A beautiful moment that is exactly what AFCON is all about.
It’s fair to say that ahead of the tournament, The Gambia as a nation had no real footballing pedigree to speak of.
Africa’s smallest mainland country had never produced a team that was capable of reaching the AFCON in previous years, let alone to promised land of a World Cup.
They were also the subject of a two-year ban in 2014 by CAF for fielding overage players in youth competitions.
Gambia’s midfielder Musa Barrow celebrates after a team goal during the Group F Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Gambia and Tunisia at Limbe Omnisport Stadium in Limbe on January 20, 2022.
Image credit: Getty Images
However, fortunes changed following the hiring of nomadic Belgian manager Tom Saintfiet in 2018.
At the point of his arrival, the Scorpions had not won a qualifying match for over five years but following a famous draw with Algeria in his first match in charge, there was certainly a new feeling of optimism.
Fast forward two years and after topping a qualification group featuring Gabon, Angola and DR Congo, Gambia were on their way to the Cup of Nations for the very first time.
Like many countries of their size, there is huge reliance on players from the diaspora to make up the squad with virtually the entire squad playing in various leagues at various levels throughout Europe.
The most high-profile players in the squad currently ply their trade in Serie A and are making a name for themselves in Italy’s top league.
Centre back Omar Colley is a rock at the heart of the Sampdoria defence. So much so, since he departure for the tournament at the start of January, the club have lost all four games in his absence.
In contrast, Gambia have only conceded once from the penalty spot in three matches so far.
Mauritania’s goalkeeper Babacar Diop fails to save a goal shot by Gambia’s midfielder Ablie Jallow
Image credit: Getty Images
Barrow, whose penalty secured the draw against Mali, can play both up front or off the left and has 23 goals in two years for Bologna having initially joined on loan in January 2020.
The forward has five Serie A strikes this season including having gone on a run of scoring in four successive matches in the autumn.
Gambia also have 20-year-old Roma starlet Ebrima Darboe who has mostly featured in the Italians’ Europa Conference league fixtures as he continues his development as a player this campaign.
“Darboe is a good footballer,” Manager Jose Mourinho said in an interview with DAZN earlier this season. “This is a long-term project.”
“We need to make players. We have to play players like Darboe, [Riccardo] Calafiori, [Nicola] Zalewski. It is a good opportunity to have them play.”
That Gambia have these sort of names to call upon is a testament to their progress as a nation in recent years and long-term, the ambition has to be one of continuing that growth.
This run in Cameroon could be the catalyst for the powers that be in the country to make sure the tools are in place for the good work to continue as best it can within their obvious limitations.
The idea of Gambia at World Cup may still seem ridiculously far-fetched but with an expanded tournament in 2026 featuring nine African sides, the possibly may no longer be considered completely out of reach as it once may have been.
For now, having already exceeded expectations in the tournament, there is still a chance to make more history against a Guinea side who haven’t been totally convincing so far.
Even if their interest in the competition ends here, the team have made memories to last a lifetime.
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