A prominent Gambian youth leader and youth development specialist, Basiru Jaye, has appealed to Scorpions and Brighton Hove Albion’s star, Yankuba Minteh, to reconsider his decision to suspend national team duties, arguing that patriotism and national duties should ensure even in difficult times.
“While many understand his frustration and share his concerns about the prolonged closure of the stadium, the decision itself raises deeper questions about patriotism, national service and what it truly means to represent one’s country.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banned the Gambia’s one and only Independence Stadium from hosting international matches since early 2022, shortly after the national team’s participation in its first African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon, declaring it unfit for international matches.
During his latest interview with Gambian sports journalist, Foday Manneh, Yankuba Minteh has said he is no longer going to represent the country’s national team until the Independence Stadium, which has been undergoing rehabilitation works for four years, is fixed and approved by CAF.
The statement has triggered serious debates regarding the significance of national duty and the way forward football development in The Gambia.
In a heartfelt statement, Basiru Jaye acknowledged widespread frustrations over the prolonged closure of the Independence Stadium and the need for authorities urgently complete the rehabilitation, but argued that representing one’s country should not be conditional on infrastructure challenges.
Drawing comparison between Gambia, Senegal, and other West African nations, Jaye noted that Senegal’s national team had recently faced reports of disputes over bonuses, accommodation concerns and administrative difficulties, yet players continued to honour national team call-ups.
“Despite these difficulties, Senegal’s players did not abandon the national team. They did not refuse to wear the jersey. They did not walk away from the millions of supporters who look to them for inspiration,” he stated. “The reality is that a nation is not its stadium. A nation is its people.”
The Gambia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has said it has so far, disbursed more than 300 million for the rehabilitation works of the Independence Stadium but the concern many Gambian football enthusiasts and journalists continued to raised is, the alleged negligence of the country’s main football administration, GFF.
Minteh made his senior debut for The Gambia in 2022 and has since become one of the Scorpions’ key attacking players, scoring 7 goals in 20 appearances.