Reaching the last eight of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) for debutant Gambia is over-achievement, but they are still hungry for more as they aim to go far in the tournament.
Gambia made history when they reached the quarterfinals of the ongoing tournament in Cameroon on their first-ever appearance at the finals.
They beat Guinea 1-0 on Monday to progress to this stage after being unbeaten through the group stage, where they beat Mauritania and Tunisia while drawing with Mali.
The Scorpions will now face host nation Cameroon on Saturday at 6pm and goalkeeper Modou Jobe, who plays for Black Leopards in SA's second-tier, said being underdogs in this tournament helped them.
“Coming into this Afcon is a great achievement for the entire nation and the team. We are a team full of talent that is very hungry and determined,” Jobe told the SA media.
“We also have some experienced players who can guide the young ones. The secret is we play as a team and we fight for each other.
“The team is well-focused mentally and physically ready for all the challenges. Coming into this tournament, we were underdogs and we accepted it, but on the field of play, we can do better than other countries.”
With a daunting challenge against Cameroon now in the quarterfinals, the 33-year-old goalie insists they can cause an upset should they continue to play to their potential.
“Now we are in the quarterfinals and we are facing Cameroon. It is not going to be an easy game. We are going to respect them as a team and as a country,” he said.
“Cameroon are one of the best and strongest in the continent. So we will respect them. It is not going to be an easy job for us. They are the host nation. We will give them a hard game even though we respect them.”
He also revealed that the support they received from Gambia's President Adama Barrow has also inspired them to perform well.
“We play to our potential. We know that with hard work and determination, we can go far in this tournament.
“When we grew up, we were watching the tournament (on TV) and now we are playing in it... it is a great motivation for all of us. The whole country is behind us from the president, and that gave us a lot of motivation, especially the support from the president and the country is giving us.”
Gambia hungry for more glory, says SA-based Jobe
Afcon quarterfinals milestone for tiny country
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Reaching the last eight of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) for debutant Gambia is over-achievement, but they are still hungry for more as they aim to go far in the tournament.
Gambia made history when they reached the quarterfinals of the ongoing tournament in Cameroon on their first-ever appearance at the finals.
They beat Guinea 1-0 on Monday to progress to this stage after being unbeaten through the group stage, where they beat Mauritania and Tunisia while drawing with Mali.
The Scorpions will now face host nation Cameroon on Saturday at 6pm and goalkeeper Modou Jobe, who plays for Black Leopards in SA's second-tier, said being underdogs in this tournament helped them.
“Coming into this Afcon is a great achievement for the entire nation and the team. We are a team full of talent that is very hungry and determined,” Jobe told the SA media.
“We also have some experienced players who can guide the young ones. The secret is we play as a team and we fight for each other.
“The team is well-focused mentally and physically ready for all the challenges. Coming into this tournament, we were underdogs and we accepted it, but on the field of play, we can do better than other countries.”
With a daunting challenge against Cameroon now in the quarterfinals, the 33-year-old goalie insists they can cause an upset should they continue to play to their potential.
“Now we are in the quarterfinals and we are facing Cameroon. It is not going to be an easy game. We are going to respect them as a team and as a country,” he said.
“Cameroon are one of the best and strongest in the continent. So we will respect them. It is not going to be an easy job for us. They are the host nation. We will give them a hard game even though we respect them.”
He also revealed that the support they received from Gambia's President Adama Barrow has also inspired them to perform well.
“We play to our potential. We know that with hard work and determination, we can go far in this tournament.
“When we grew up, we were watching the tournament (on TV) and now we are playing in it... it is a great motivation for all of us. The whole country is behind us from the president, and that gave us a lot of motivation, especially the support from the president and the country is giving us.”
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