In an effort to promote Gambian football talent on the global stage, the Gambia will soon welcome a new football academy, the Marenah Futbol Club Academy, which will begin operations in January 2025.
Trials for aspiring players will be held on January 4th and 5th 2025 at the Mansor Football Field, where 120 players aged 15 to 20 are expected to showcase their skills.
The academy’s founder, Muhammed Lamin Marenah, is an experienced United States youth coach with over a decade of experience. He has worked with players ranging from age 8 to elite levels and is currently a coach at the UPSL in North Carolina. Additionally, Marenah owns a private academy focused on individual training and is pursuing a UEFA C coaching license. His playing career includes college football in Washington State and indoor football in North Carolina.
Marenah’s inspiration for establishing the academy stemmed from his last visit to The Gambia in 2022. He observed a wealth of talent among local players, which motivated him to focus more on providing support and development opportunities in his home country.
“I started to focus on The Gambia a bit more and see what I can do to help,” he stated.
His vision for the academy is rooted in his own childhood experiences. Marenah aims to offer young players valuable information and opportunities similar to those he received during his formative years in the United States.
“My model is that I want to be the person I aimed to be growing up,” he explained. He emphasized his commitment to helping players progress, ensuring they have the proper training and guidance to reach their goals, including advancing to the collegiate level.
The Marenah Futbol Club Academy aims to significantly enhance The Gambia’s sports landscape by fostering youth talent and contributing to the development of future football stars.
Meanwhile, Marenah Futbol Club Academy has laid a comprehensive vision for its operations, emphasizing a holistic approach to player development. The academy plans to start with age groups with many participants and aims to build a strong foundation in youth football progressively.
The goal is to create pathways for players to advance to professional teams globally and facilitate opportunities to attend colleges in the United States.
Marenah envisions the academy as a state-of-the-art facility focusing on football and prioritizing education, ensuring players have alternatives if their sporting aspirations do not materialize.
The academy’s philosophy centers on developing players’ technical skills, tactical understanding, and football IQ rather than solely prioritizing winning at a young age. While acknowledging the importance of winning, Marenah emphasizes that nurturing players’ abilities and confidence on the ball is essential for long-term success. As players mature, the focus on competitive outcomes can be increased.
Moreover, Marenah’s vision extends beyond football. He aims to leverage the sport as a means of uniting people and contributing positively to the development of The Gambia. His perspective highlights the importance of giving back to the country, particularly to those in the diaspora. By facilitating educational and professional opportunities for young players, he believes that the academy can contribute to the empowerment of future generations and the overall advancement of Gambian football.
Marenah actively seeks individuals and investors interested in supporting the academy’s initiatives. He wants to connect with parents and children he has worked with in the United States, encouraging them to consider sponsoring players in The Gambia. The aim is to foster meaningful connections between sponsors and players, allowing them to communicate through letters and maintain contact. Marenah envisions that, over time, these relationships could lead to opportunities for visits, enhancing the bonds between the communities involved.
