By Sulayman Bah
The year ends for some foreign-based Gambian footballers on a high while others go into it without income to take home or employment having either seen out their contracts or are just not fit enough to secure a club owing to injury.
A good junk of notable players make the list for the latter.
Ousman Jallow: Now 30, the striker has virtually faded into the background since leaving Finnish Premier League club HJK January 2018. He won three gongs in the Scandinavian country’s capital; the league Cup, title and Super Cup. Talk of a move to Bangladesh has been discussed but nothing concrete has come of the rumour. He was last seen training with the country’s U-17s along with Mustapha Jarju. Injuries have not been kind to him, slowing down his progress. A move next month could be cooking.
Momodou Ceesay: A menace on his day, Zico is one of the remaining 2005 U-17 generation still trying to cut at football. Like Ousman Jallow, injuries –especially knee –have blighted him throughout. By experts reckoning, Ceesay’s only real time football success came with Slovakia’s MSK Zilina whom he qualified for the Uefa Champions League playing former admirers Chelsea in the group stage in 2010.
A switch to Kazakhstan saw him attain a career-high on goal-count per season. A stint in Israel and back to Kazakhstan was disrupted by injuries. He’d since gone to Morocco and returned without a club. His contract with Kazakstan’s Kyzl-Zhar expires at this December’s end, meaning he’s technically a free agent.
Abdoulie Mansally: The ex-U-20 winger was a hit at new club Inter-Turku until allegations of betting dogged him. He has not featured since October in the aftermath of this with his contract also ending this December 31st. It’s uncertain what will become of this with the player the least receptive to opening about the issue.
He still has some more years of first-team football in him as he is just 29 after a ten-year stay in American soccer. There is no doubting he could continue from where he left come January 2019.
Macoumba Kandji: A wave-maker this moment, the Gambian (through his mother) scored double figures -the third highest scorer in the Finnish top tier for Honka Espoo where Demba Savage is a teammate. Kandji won’t be short of suitors should he fancy to rundown his deal which literally ends December 31st. He confirmed negotiations of a contract renewal going on but agreement over an improved salary seems to be the hitch in the process.
Omar Jawo, Abdou Jammeh, Sainey Nyassi, Joe Sise and Muhammed Keita are the other notables without clubs of a long list we opted to shorten.
Bubacarr Trawally’s loan spell at China’s Super League has ended following the club’s relegation. A move to stay with parent side and struggling Danish outfit Velje is not ruled out which also appears little unlikely.
