By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
In the 50th minute of the game, when many thought it was over for Berewuleng, captain fantastic, Kumba Kassama orchestrated signaling what was meant to be a remarkable victory by coming from two nil down when she crafted a sublime cross that the tall, lanky striker beautifully nodded in, Sara Jarju, to make it 2- 1. Sarah remarkably added her second goal in the 68th minute.
However, Chero Mbenga’s players negotiated and dragged the game to a post-match penalty shout-out to win 4-3 and once again proved their supremacy in women’s football in the country by clinching the Super Cup trophy, something that Ms. Mbenga said they will continue to solidify in the country.
“Red Scorpions will continue to dominate women’s football in the Gambia because we have a caliber of players that can represent us anywhere,” Cherno Mbenga, one of the most successful football coaches in the country, said after the win over Berewuleng.
Going to face a stubborn Berewuleng side in the season curtain raiser, many had expected Red Scorpions to win the game in regulation time, especially after going two goals in the first half. However, Bere sent a statement of intent when they stunningly pulled the two-goal deficit, giving fans and sympathizers a glimmer of hope against a dominant Red Scorpion.
The game could not, however, produce a winner in the 90 minutes, but the serial winners managed to edge over Berewuleng 4-3 in the shootout.
Despite Berewuleng’s closeness to equalling Red Scorpions in last season’s FF Cup final and yesterday’s Super Cup, Mariama Bojang, the champions’ team captain, believes that Berewuleng is not a threat to their dominance.
“I don’t think Berewuleng is a threat to our dominance. I know it is a football, and they have superb players and to be where we are, but at the end of the day, Red Scorpions will always emerge as winners,” Captain Bojang said.
In recent years, Berewuleng has established itself as one of the country’s most progressive women’s football clubs.
Over the years, Red Scorpions have archived remarkable accomplishments, becoming the first club to win the domestic Championship three times in a row. Unique in this triumph was the 2002-2003 league season, when they played the whole season undefeated.
Their current squad, fresh from participating in the WAFU/CAF women’s club Champions League qualifiers, comprises around 95% of players representing the national team in U17, 20, or the senior national team.
According to their iconic coach, Ms. Mbenga, their team differs from all other teams in the country in their approach to player selection and recruitment.
“The difference between us and other teams is that we have different approaches. When we see extraordinary players, we go for them, and most of them are scouring very early and will start at our academy,” she remarked.
She highlighted that part of maintaining their dominance in women’s football is investing in their feeder team, enabling a smooth transition to the first team.
The Red Scorpions’ dominance is underlined by their total of 12 league titles and an unbeaten run spanning 41 games, solidifying their status as one of the best female teams in Gambian football history.
Red Scorpion was founded in 1988 as a women’s football club based in old Jeshwang.
Since then, the club has established itself as one of the leading teams in Gambian women’s football, dominating in both winning titles and producing players for the various categories of the national teams.
Their consistent performance and dominance reflect not only dexterity but also a commitment from both players and management, ensuring that they stay at the forefront of women’s football in the Gambia.
