PA DEMBO LEAVES SA, SIGNS IN SWEDEN

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By Sulayman Bah Pa DemboTouray has ended his love affair with South African club Santos after a three-year stay there.Haruna (left)MomodouDemba (right) The Gambian born net-minder quits Santos, dubbed The People’s Team, after finishing his contract which was signed in 2012. The 34-year-old former Swedish League best goalkeeper moved to South Africa following a near 13-season spell at Stockholm-based DIF, his first professional club since leaving local Gambian Real de Banjul in 2000. Having seen out his contract in the rainbow nation, the towering Gambian goalie was linked to a number of clubs, including a possibility of switching to the Major League. The plan of returning to Sweden to rejoin former club DIF gained prominence but the club there appeared disinterested. Home sickness and the longing to reunite with his Stockholm-based young family, it is believed, fuelled his return to Sweden. Third division side VasalundSolna managed to win over the former Scorpion goalkeeper on a one-year contract. Pa Dembo is on a self-imposed international exile after taking umbrage on a journalist’s suggestion he should retire from internationals with Gambia in 2011. Numerous attempts, mostly recently two months ago, to talk him out of retirement by the Gambia Football Federation proved vain. Against Ivory Coast, according to credible sources, national team 25-time capped Touray was invited to stand between the sticks for the Gambia but he didn’t turn up.]]>