By Assan Bah
After months of tension between the Manjai Sports Association Committee and local community members over the use of the Manjai Football Field, sports activities are set to resume on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that formalizes the terms of access and management.
The MoU, signed on Saturday in the presence of senior officials, including the Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Kanifing Municipal Police Commissioner, and representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, allows the sports committee to continue using the facilities until the end of their current term, which is scheduled for November 2025.
According to insiders, the agreement also ensures that the community will receive 20 percent of all revenues collected from the football field during this period.
“Following extensive negotiations at the Coordinator’s office, we have had a Memorandum of Understanding to allow the committee or association to use the facilities until the end of their current term,” a source in Manjai explained. “The committee has promised to hand over everything to the community after the expiry of their term. This is why we gave them the green light to start. Everything has been signed.”
The MoU represents a delicate compromise aimed at resolving a dispute that has disrupted preparations for the 2025 Nawettan qualifiers, which are set to begin today with a match between Dahaba and BK Layout at the Father Gough Sports Complex. The agreement comes as a relief to both organizers and players, who had faced repeated delays and uncertainty over access to the field.
The backdrop to this resolution is a formal intervention by the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), which had sought police assistance amid the stand-off. In a letter dated July 23, 2025, addressed to the Commissioner of the Gambia Police Force by KMC’s Chief Executive Officer Paa Sait Ceesay, the council expressed concern over halted maintenance work at the field and requested urgent law enforcement intervention. The letter referenced a motion passed during a general council sitting on July 17, 2025, directing the CEO to ensure the legitimate sports committee could carry out its duties at the facility.
“The Kanifing Municipal Council, acting under the powers and authorities provided in Sections 15, 48, and 176 of the Local Government Act 2002, wishes to write seeking your urgent intervention on the matter of the ‘Manjai Football Field/Mini Stadium,’” the letter states. It highlights ongoing preparations for the Nawettan tournament, which had been interrupted due to interference from some community members. The council noted that delays in maintenance “led to a waste of resources while holding the entire forces at ransom.”
Citing the National Sports Act of 2000 and the Sport Policy of 2019, the KMC stressed that elected sports committees are legally mandated to manage local sporting facilities. “Ensuring that this year’s Nawettan football tournament at Manjai proceeds smoothly, Council is hereby requesting your urgent interventions to enable the Manjai Sports Association/Committee, the legitimate body mandated by law, to complete the pending maintenance work currently at a standstill at the Mini Stadium,” the letter read. The council further requested maximum security to allow the committee to execute its responsibilities effectively.
Despite the council’s appeal to the police, some youth representatives from Manjai opposed law enforcement involvement. Speaking to Foroyaa, they insisted they would defend community interests and requested dialogue rather than force. “Use of force won’t lead the council anywhere because we will defend the interests of the community without fear,” one youth leader said.
The community has also criticized the KMC CEO for engaging only select individuals rather than consulting the wider neighbourhood. “By the time the council realises that the whole community is involved, it will be too late,” said a local representative. They recalled a previous instance when the council presented an MoU for signature without genuine consultation.
The MoU agreement, therefore, not only resolves the immediate question of access to the football field but also sets a framework for revenue sharing and accountability until the sports committee’s term expires in November. It underscores the importance of balancing formal municipal oversight with community participation, ensuring that the use of public sporting facilities aligns with both legal mandates and local interests.
Foroyaa will continue to follow developments and report on community and youth reactions as the Nawettan tournament progresses.
