By Sulayman Bah
Former Gambia football boss Omar Sey has passed away and was laid to rest last Friday.
The 77-year-old demise followed a brief illness. Sey, a founding member of the Hawks Football Club, was GFA’s boss when the Baby Scorpions beat Ghana to win the Africa Youth Championship in 2005 in Banjul.
A respected retired referee, Omar was initially in line to be Confederation of African Football president when erstwhile Gambian leader Sir Dawda Jawara appointed him minister of foreign affairs, allowing Issa Hayatou to lead the body for over two decades.
Sey was vice chairman of the Normalization Committee that oversaw the transitioning of the Gambia Football Association to a football federation in recent years.
A P.H.D holder in political science from Pennsylvania University, the late Sey has been heavily involved in football and until his death was adviser to the current GFF executive set up.
Popularly known as OS, Omar was laid to rest at the Old Jeshwang Cemetery as hundred paid their respects to him.
His death has thrown the Gambia football fraternity in mourning.
