GAMBIA PLANS FRIENDLY AHEAD OF IVORY COAST CLASH

Senior National Team (Scorpions)

Gambia are planning to set the ground running with a friendly match in sight ahead of a less-to-to-gain world Cup qualifier home match against Ivory Coast next month. The Scorpions team will host the visiting star-littered Ivorian side on June 8th at the Independence stadium. Mancini’s charges are condemned to Group C table baseline, picking a single point out of possible nine points with a lone draw to comfort with since the race for a slot in Brazil World Cup 2014 gathered momentum.

The 59-year-old Italian tactician watched helplessly his outfit turned to tatters by a rampaging slightly overhauled elephants of Ivory Coast. And, in an attempt to avert the inflicting of any further damages, Mancini and the country football body are planning a host of international test matches with one likely to be staged this month. “Yes, we are working on a friendly match and there is no element of truth that we have canceled four matches,” Normalisation Committee public liaison officer-cum journalist, Bakary B Baldeh, who wouldn’t be drawn into disclosing Gambia’s prospective opponent confirmed to our sports desk.

He also repudiated unconfirmed claims that there have been proposed test matches unreasonably aborted last week. The Sports Ministry finances test matches and arrangements are at a high peak to finalise modules for a test match according to highly placed sources at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast jets to Banjul without ex-Chelsea forward Didier Drogba, who has been overlooked for the second time – a decision that has umbrage the Galatassary goal-getter. The omission of the 35-year-old dents Gambian fans’ hope to get a glimpse of the Ivorian unless gaffer Sabri Lamounchi makes an unlikely last-gasp change on his list of invited players.