By Sulayman Bah
Female referee Jama Njie was left bloodied together with her assistant Abie Ceesay who sustained a visibly 
swollen lip as a result of alleged beatings they received from players of Red Scorpions.
The incident, purportedly stirred up by Red Scorpions attacker Fatoumatta Touray, is reported to have occurred last Friday when the Red Scorpions players, in fits of anger, descended on match officials.
The ugly scenes were said to be triggered by Red Scorpions who apparently disagreed with referee Jama Njie’s decision which left her and the assistant sustaining severe injuries.
However, seven days after the fracas, the Gambia Football Federation’s Organising Committee (OC) has decided to come plain with its investigations and their enquiry found Red Scorpions players culpable of ‘bringing disrepute to the game’.
In a statement issued yesterday, the GFF decided to ban ten players for one-year for thuggery while Fatoumatta Touray, who, according to the federation, orchestrated the incident leading to collective justice being meted out on referee Jama Njie, gets an 18-month ban from football.
The OC based its ruling on Articles 26 and 29 regarding misconduct in the women football league and went further to demote Red Scorpions to the second division as well as imposing a D10, 000 fine on them.
This verdict, described by many as jaw-dropping, comes at a time when Red Scorpions needed only a point to be declared champions of the GFF Women’s First Division League.
“You are also urged to desist from emotional and non-factual statements and we implore you and other stakeholders not to allow immature behavior and pronouncements to cloud your judgment,” the communique states.
Reached for a reaction yesterday afternoon, Red Scorpions’ Choro Mbenga said her camp is yet to be officially told about their fate by the GFF and as a result cannot give any response to the charges at the moment.
Below is a list of banned players for one year with Fatoumata Touray getting 18-months suspension.
- Fatoumata Touray No.7
- Mariama Bojang No.4
- Penda Colley No.2
- Awa Tamba No.11
- Mariama Ceesay No.22
- Fatou Sanneh No.14
- Aminata Camara No.12
- Haddy Sanneh, Trainer
- Medina Njie (Kinteh’s FC) and
- 10. Ya Awa Ceesay (Kinteh’s FC).
