Not the desired number of participants in the Champions League or its sister competitions, but moments like this make young Gambian footballers dare to dream.
The story of Bara Ndiaye is similar to that of Assan Sanyang. More importantly, both players have come from the grassroots game to one of the biggest stages in European football.
Since the 2016/17 season, Gambian players have featured in UEFA competitions. Ebrima Darboe, under José Mourinho, won the Conference League, while both Yankuba Minteh and Ebrima Colley have found the back of the net in the Champions League.
Youssoupha Sanyang was not named in Slavia Praha’s Champions League squad amid transfer speculation. However, new signing Assan Sanyang, from Tijan Jaiteh’s Academy, has been included in Bodø/Glimt’s Champions League squad.
If he makes his debut, Sanyang will become the youngest Gambian to feature in the Champions League, surpassing Musa Barrow, who was 20 years and 10 months old, and Yankuba Minteh, who was 19 years and one month old at the time of their respective debuts.
The draw will also feature some Gambian derbies. Yankuba Minteh’s Brighton will face Lamin Jawo’s Jablonec, while Jawo will once again come up against Muhammed Badamoesi’s Riga FC.
Clubs such as Saikou Touray’s KUPS, Jablonec, Riga FC and Viktoria Plzeň all hung on the thread to secure qualification spots.
Former Real de Banjul right-back Mustapha Nyassi made his debut in the qualifiers, playing 45 minutes as FC Copenhagen drew 3-3 against Polissya. He sat on the bench in five games as Copenhagen secured a place in the Conference League.
Sulieman Camara hit the ground running, scoring on his debut for Slovakian champions Slovan in their tie against Mjällby. Camara scored twice and provided an assist in four matches during the Champions League qualifiers.
Alasana Yiranjang also scored twice for Slovan and went on to feature in five of the six matches during the qualifiers. He started the first three matches before coming off the bench in the home games against Mjällby and Cejle.
Saikou Touray played eight games across the UEFA qualifiers, alternating between central midfield and defensive midfield. He was the Gambian with the highest level of involvement during the qualifiers.
Abdoulie Sanyang provided two assists during the qualifying campaign, against Žalgiris and Raków.
Viktoria Plzeň produced one of the biggest comebacks of the night, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Crvena Zvezda with a stunning 5-1 home victory. The Czech side advanced despite their opponents being reduced to 10 men, securing their place in the Europa League league phase.
In the Conference League, Jablonec edged Rangers on penalties after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate. Jablonec won the shootout 4-3 to book their place in the league phase.
The Champions League league phase will start on September 8, followed by the Europa League on September 16 and the Conference League on October 15.
The player to watch is Abubakr Barry of Red Bull Salzburg an influential and dominant presence in midfield. The Gambian midfielder is fierce in both attack and defence, making him a player many scouts and sporting directors will be keeping a close eye on.
No game is too big for Barry. His European opponents will provide a strong test, but those challenges could further increase his market value and give him the platform to excel on the European stage and potentially earn a move to a bigger club.
Champions League Fixtures
Alasana Yiranjang & Sulieman Camara — Slovan Bratislava
PSG, Stuttgart, Roma, LASK, Real Betis, Shakhtar, Lille and Inter Milan
Europa League Fixtures
Baboucarr Faal — Viktoria Plzeň
Union SG, Ferencváros, Levski Sofia, Lillestrøm, Benfica, Bournemouth, Real Sociedad, Sparta Praha and Jagiellonia
Abubakr Barry — RB Salzburg
Levski Sofia, AC Milan, Celje, Anderlecht, Ararat Armenia, Sparta Praha, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace
Ebrima Singhateh — Sparta Praha
Ararat Armenia, Lillestrøm, Olympiacos, Bournemouth, AZ Alkmaar, Crystal Palace and Rennes
Conference League Fixtures
Mamhud Bajo — Crvena Zvezda
Lugano, FC Copenhagen, Inter Escaldes, Gent, Iberia Tbilisi and Trabzonspor
Yankuba Minteh — Brighton
Žalgiris, Jablonec, Getafe, U Craiova, Monaco and Panathinaikos
Abdoulie Sanyang — Hajduk Split
Ajax, Thun, Lincoln Red Imps, Sint-Truiden, Nordsjælland and Midtjylland
Muhammed Badamoesi — Kairat Almaty
Pafos, Jablonec, Kauno Žalgiris, Atalanta and Borac
Lamin Jawo — Jablonec
Freiburg, Brighton, Riga, Lugano, Trabzonspor and Iberia Tbilisi
