By Sulayman Bah
Up to fifteen foreign coaches have their sight on filling Gambia’s coaching job, it has 
emerged.
Gambia has no coach since Bonu Johnson’s contract termination, but steps are being taken to ensure the vacancy is filled as the Sports Council and federation work on coach appointment modalities.Gambia wouldn’t be participating in any major CAF or FIFA recognized competitions after missing out on the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers through the recent ban with the exception of the continental local-based national team tournament to take place in 2016.
And with this being the case, the federation is preoccupied with drafting in local-based gaffers to temporarily fill the void.
However, in the process of recruitment of local coaches –expected to be four – the federation and Sports Council are also subjecting into review the CVs of up to fifteen foreign coaches for a possible appointment to permanently take control of the post in the future.
‘We are working on finalizing the process. It is a procedure. We don’t recommend coaches, but instead the football federation and then appointment formalization follows. Already they (federation) are working on bringing in local coaches of up to four or so to fill the post for now. And each of these coaches will work together but they will have one person to make the final decisions. The long term plan is to register our various youth squads including the national team to competitions and each of the coaches will work together. That is when it is the U-17 time, the coaches will come together to work with one identified as head coach and the same follows in all other national team categories. Of course a foreign coach will be hired later. Already the number of those (foreign coaches) being considered is increasing. It has been increasing in fact long time and the figure is fifteen.’ New Sports Council’s Executive Director Marcel Mendy told Foroyaa
Sport yesterday afternoon.
The Scorpions managerial job has been vacant since Bonu’s contract nullification. The erstwhile Gambia Ports Authority gaffer was fixed in to the job following Italian Luciano Mancini’s resignation in 2013 and led the team in the remaining fixtures of the 2014 WC and Nations Cup qualifiers.
Bonu was on the brink of being offered a revised contract and talks were at an advanced stage to ensure that on the back of an impressive show in his short spell as coach.
Agreement, in principle was already struck between Bonu and government with only incentive slowing the process before matters took a new trajectory after Gambia got banned by CAF for two years prompting cancelation of the negotiations.
Procedure of hiring a coach involves first advertising the job, shortlisting and interviewing of candidates before recommending of the favoured applicant to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for appointment.
The senior scorpions have been without competition since the victory over Taifar Stars of Tanzania in 2013 and consequently continue to falter on FIFA rankings.]]>
