Gambia’s all-time leading women’s football goal scorer, Adama Tamba, revealed in an exclusive interview with Alkamba Times that the Gambia Federation and the women’s national team do not respect her. She also called for a significant increase in match allowances.
Adama suffered an injury a day before the return leg between Gambia and Cameroon in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, injuring her right hip bone (pelvis) three times. She financed her treatment on her own. Adama reflects on that fateful February 2022.
“I risked my career; I had just signed with Grenoble. I chose to represent my nation, and in doing so, I got injured, yet no one bothered to inform my club or check on me, and the silence lasted for three years, demonstrating the utmost lack of respect. I left GF38, a second-division team, because of that injury. I didn’t start with the team early due to delays with my work permit; GF38 also got frustrated that the GFF didn’t reach out to check on my status,” she recounted.
“Since the first round, I insisted on staying in France to focus and adapt. In the second round, I joined the team. I would have appreciated it if they had called my club to inquire about my condition. Not even the coach has contacted me; I feel scared and heartbroken.”
Adama also noted that her injury to the national team affected her club career.
“I treated my injury for three months and managed to play in the last league game. Afterward, the coach informed me I could not continue due to the limited number of games I had played. I sought a new team and ended up in the fourth division in Caen, where I played regional and district football, helping them get promoted to the third division (scoring 51 goals in the district league, 7 in the regional league, and 19 in D3).”
Adama Tamba, who currently plays for Rodez, revealed that the match allowances for the female team are significantly lower.
“The winning bonus is D7000 for home games and the same amount for away games, which is minimal compared to other countries. We should have advanced beyond this level; you cannot recruit fully professional players and then pay them only 5,000-7,000. We are not asking for equal pay with the men’s national team but advocating for a pay increase.”
“Parents are providing these players with fares for training for club and country; what can D7000 offer such families? In one situation, a professional player received that amount, but her mother shared the match allowance with the players in camp.”
“Going to camp doesn’t have the same impact as in other countries; often, local players attend camp just two days before the match or even a week prior, while other countries train together for nearly a month. Sometimes, the Super Falcons even go to training camps. Our preparation timetable is insufficient for player development. We are not advancing as a national team; the federation restricts us from competing in qualifiers and WAFU. There are no plans for friendly matches. The federation claims no funding exists, yet one must wonder how much FIFA invests in women’s football in Africa alone. In male football, they do everything possible to pay them. One time, we refused to leave camp until our dues were settled. They don’t respect female players. Women’s football in Gambia should have surpassed Senegal; even Guinea Bissau is ahead of us, as is Mali. We used to lead these countries.”
She also mentioned her intention to step away from the Gambia national team.
“I cannot represent Gambia now because of how I’ve been treated and my club obligations. I will only return if there are changes within the national team. I am not speaking for myself but for future generations. We can compete with Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. We can achieve this; we possess the talent to compete against these nations. Despite the WAFU allowance being 7,000, I doubt parents will be enthusiastic about their daughters representing the national team. Gambia is not ready,” Adama added.
