Gambia U20 coach Abdoulie Bojang says his side deserves to be in the final of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations after edging past favourites Nigeria in the semi-final.
Also, Nigeria coach Ladan Bosso shared his frustrations after his side were stunned in the semi-finals by Gambia on Monday.
The Young Scorpions are undoubtedly the sensation of the tournament in Egypt after stunning the favourites and seven-time champions in the last four match on Monday to secure their historic ticket to the final.
Adama Bojang scored the winner after seven minutes to send Gambia to Saturday’s final against neighbours Senegal.
“I am proud of my players who keep writing the history of our football,” coach Abdoulie Bojang said.”It is extraordinary, magnificent, satisfactory, and much more than that.
“We have scored 10 goals in this competition without conceding. We’re a small country that now plays in the tournaments.”
The WAFU-A runners-up and Senegal won all their matches without conceding a goal in the tournament.
“It is a deserved victory. We will fight for the title against Senegal,” Bojang said.
“Senegal is winning everything right now. We must prevent them on Saturday.”
The final at the Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, 11 March will rekindle the two country’s footballing rivalry as they both seek a maiden U-20 AFCON crown.
“We lost stupidly, we were naive from the start,” a disappointed Bosso. “We failed to take our chances and we also missed the penalty in the 86th minute.
“I am very frustrated because we had the team to go all the way. Football is cruel.
“We didn’t measure up. I congratulate The Gambia for winning,” he added.
Gambia joined Senegal in the final of the TotalEnergies U20 AFCON following the Young Teranga Lions’ comfortable 3-0 victory over Tunisia in Ismailia.