MINTEH HINTS AT PLAYERS’ STRIKE OVER STADIUM DEBACLE

With The  Gambia heading to a crowded and intense Afcon qualifiers  beginning  this September , a dark cloud has risen over the horizon  over the country’s football with international  star Yankuba Minteh declaring that he personally, and  may be many other players  will not play until  the issue of  Independence Stadium is fixed. The Stadium has not hosted matches for over five years despite heavy investment in rehabilitation work that soar failed to meet Caf criteria.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports which is implementing the rehabilitation work said it is hopeful the facility will be ready by September.

At the beginning of this month a planned friendly against Sierra Leone and a regional sports competition were called off largely because the facility is not entirely ready.

However friendly match against Iran in Turkey went ahead with a leger absenteeism of players triggering rumours of a boycott.Youth

On Sunday, respected  Gambia football online Portal Gam Foot Transfer, quoting  reporter  Foday  For Journalist,  reported that  Minteh may have been the  influence behind the players’ absenteeism in Turkey..

It quoted the Brighton player as saying: “I’m not playing for the Gambia national team anymore until the stadium is ready because I am frustrated. I am behind this strike. I have tried to bring players with me to not play for Gambia anymore until the stadium is ready because the authorities don’t care about us. But many players are scared. Many of them may be don’t have the profile that I have today, but I’ve been thinking about it and I don’t want to play for Gambia until the stadium is ready.”

According to Minteh, he has since started playing charity games in the country in this off season so that Gambian fans could have the chance see him play.

“Because they have been supporting me for a long time, so I decided to do this strike and not play for Gambia until the stadium is ready,” Minteh said.

He observed that some people may feel that his behavior is out of big headedness or self-importance.

“But I don’t care. I know that I do this for Gambia, and somebody has to take this step,” he said.