By Sulayman Bah
Gambian striker Ali Sowe would have been happier facing English Premier League club Arsenal or former European champions AC Milan in the Europa League.
Skenderbeu Korce, the Albanian Super League club the 23-year-old attacker plays for, were last week drawn with Partizan of Serbia, Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv and Swiss Heavyweights Young Boys in group B of the Europa League group stage.
When clubs were seeded last Friday, the on-loan Chievo Verona striker wanted a touch of glamour – a thing Milan and Arsenal provides being the guns of the competition– but was left somewhat disappointed.
‘I was hoping for bigger clubs it would’ve been wonderful to have teams like Arsenal or Milan you name them, but now, I believe the draw was fair on our side and I still appreciate it,’ Sowe tells Foroyaa Sport from Albania.
It hasn’t been a smooth ride for the Gambia international after failing to make Chievo’s first team in 2013, opening the path to loan stints at seven different clubs in the lower echelons in Italy, where injuries dogged him throughout.
His transfer to Albania –instigated by prospect of featuring in the Europa League – seems to be paying off but remains under no illusion that he has to work harder giving it’s a fresh start for him.
‘Now I still have a bigger challenge and I know that it is only by working harder I can maintain and keep pushing forward,’ he went on.
Dubbed Drogba, Ali will be on a new milestone, becoming the fifth Gambian to play in the Europa, when the tournament commences.
The other Gambians –four of them capped at international level –to get a mention in the tourney is Tijan Jaiteh, Demba Savage, Pa Modou Jagne and Macoumba Kandji who has yet to commit to the Scorpions.
