Government sets up interim committee to oversee Gambia FA

The Government of The Gambia through its Ministry of Youths and Sports has decided to assign an interim committee to take charge of proceedings at the country’s Football Governing body GFA after it disbanded its executives.
The interim committee setup by the Ministry is headed by Mr Alhagie Ousman B. Conateh alias Fisco honorary life President of the FA as Chairman of the committee, Mr Omar Sey former President of the GFA as Vice Chairman;Mr Salifu Jaiteh former second vice president of the FA; Mr Remi Joiner a banker, legal practitioners; sports journalists and representatives across all the five regions in the country.
A media release from the Ministry of Youth and Sports states that, “Following the dissolution of the Gambia Football Association executive on Friday 2nd March 2012, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has taken the decision to set up an interim committee to steer the affairs of the FA till congress which is due in one year’s time.”
This interim committee was set up after the Sports Ministry dissolved the country’s FA last week after what it said was the “lack of confidence by the Government in the FA executive because Gambian football failed to make headway in continental and global competition.”
The Gambia Football Association was dissolved last Friday, two days after the Gambian national team was beaten 2-1 at home by Algeria in the first leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers preliminary round.
While critics of the Gambia Football Association welcomed the move, others wondered what might be the possible implications, especially as FIFA does not tolerate Governments interference in football administration.