By Sulayman Bah
He was one of the expected new-comers to grace the internationals and was being lined up by the federation to be unleashed against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions for Gambia’s second match of the Gabon 2017 qualifiers.
His pace and penchant for outrageous shots secured his club Cherno More the Bulgarian Cup leading to predictions of trouble for Cameroon’s defence line with his expected inclusion in Gambia’s attack.
But it now appears Gambian fans who’d been head over heels in excitement over the Spanish-born Bakary Kambi Njie defection may have to wait till March 2016 to see him don the red, white, blue and green colours after the former Espanyol striker tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
He’s expected to go under the knife on a date to be later confirmed with a return trip to Spain where he’ll do his rehabilitation.
The recently turned 26-year-old has been an invaluable asset in Cherno More FC’s campaign to the Europa League and news of his absence will see the club depleted of its star man.
During the cause of his injury, Gambia could still count on the services of a revived Ousman Jallow or Pa Amat Dibba up in attack.
Bakary is tipped to return to the pitch January 2016 a time he would have been ready to commit to international duty, two months before Gambia’s away game against Group F underdogs Mauritania.
Born to Gambian parents in Spain, the left-footed front-man is the first, in the current generation of Gambia footballers, to play in Spanish top tier. Bakary climbed off the substitute bench as 10-minute new entrant for Espanyol against Valencia in 2012 after moving from Real Valladolid reserve team.
Njie scored 12 goals in the first season with Cherno More in 2014 a year after he bagged the same amount of goals for Spanish second tier side Hospitalite.]]>
