By Sulayman Bah
Gambia U-20s hopes of completing the job over Sierra Leone have been boosted with the arrival of the duo Norway-based strikers
Erik Stafford and Sulayman Ceesay.
The starlets who play for clubs in the Scandinavian country touched down this week along with Saihou Sarr another U-20 prospect.
The Young Scorpions face Sierra Leone April 23rd for the return fixture in the preliminary round of the African Youth Championship. And ahead of the crunch showdown at the Independence Stadium, the Scorpions are being bolstered with the addition of the trio foreign-based players.
Born in Oslo to a Norwegian mum and a Gambia father, Erik Stafford is expected to help press the buttons in attack.
The 18-year-old, who plays for Norwegian top tier side Sarpsborg 08 but who missed out on the first-leg in Freetown, is on the verge of aiding the fatherland reach the next round of the qualifiers after dumping Norway.
He and two others were involved in yesterday’s training drill held at the Independence Stadium as gaffer Omar Sise puts his players through their paces as sessions intensified.
‘I hope to get to know the guys in the team, familiarize with the playing style there. I know this U20 team is one of the best in Africa at the moment and it seems there is an incredible amount of talent down there (in Banjul) now. I also hope to be able to impress the coach of the team during my stay and possibly get a starting place in the lineup, and get some experience on how it is outside of Norway,’ an intrigued Erik, says.
