By: Bubacarr Fallaboweh
The Senegal transfer window has closed, and the usual crossover was less than in previous years and seasons.
Despite the small number of transfers, the few that went are with quality and have enormous worth of experience. The cases of Fakebba Jammeh (Falcons), Abdoulie Baldeh (Greater Tomorrow), Adama Jammeh (Falcons) & Saikouba Ceesay (BK Milan) are some of the players who fall into this category.
Only four clubs made signings from the Gambia, with CasaSports topping the list as they had six signings. Pikine and Guediawaye made three signings each, whereas TEUNGUETH just signed two. Guediawaye FC, who finished 3rd last season, will have their attack led by Abdoulie Gassama, the previous year’s leading goal scorer of the league, accompanied by Abdoulie Baldeh, who scored 17 goals in his first season in the GFF and 2021 leading goalscorer in the name of Saikouba Ceesay.
Teungueth has brought a similar player to Alasana Faye; Lie Kah has started two of Teungueth’s first matches, scoring one, and was instrumental in Stade de Mbour, who went to two finals last season in Senegal.
Mustapha Drammeh will return for his second spell in Senegal; an ankle injury marred his stint with Stade de Mbour. Drammeh finished last season as the leading scorer with 20 goals for Brikama United. He will be joined by Giboroh Ebrima Sanneh, who played for Greater Tomorrow. Giboroh’s Ajax Academy has sent two players. Ebrima is joined by Omar Manneh, a right-winger who signed a five-year contract with Teungueth FC.
Gambians have always dominated the Senegalese Ligue1 over the years. Just last season, both Ligue1 and Ligue2 leading goal scorers were Gambians. At the same time, both Youssou Sanyang and Abdoulie Gassama found the back of the net on match day 1.
The concluded summer transfer was the first time since Assan’s move that more than two Gambian players have left the Senegalese Ligue1 and signed for teams abroad. Abdoulie Gassama was close to signing for the Algeria-based side MC Alger. Both Ismaila Ceesay and Omar Faye also left for abroad. This is a similar route that former Armed Forces striker Saikouba Ceesay hopes for. The now BK Milan striker was sought by both Real de Banjul and Fortune before penning a season-long with Guediawaye.
” The Senegalese league is a step ahead of us; it is a very competitive league recognized as a professional league. The perfect competition makes it easier to get a contract to Europe or Asia. ” Ceesay emphasized.
“Our target is to win the league and, if possible, both cups and then target to win the Golden Boot,” he added.
