Africell takes over Sait Matty

An official of Africell Company has informed Observer Sports that the national telecommunication giant has taken full ownership of the Gambia First Division side, Sait Matty FC, ending a five-year partnership.

The latest development means the name of the club will formally be changed from Africell-Sait Matty Football Club to Africell Football Club, with the mobile company shouldering all  the club’s needs. The move, according to the official, was necessitated by the fact that the Bakau club did not make any head way since the signing of the partnership with Africell some five years back.

The official, who preferred anonymity, revealed that Africell Company will restructure the team in its bid to make it a more vibrant one that can compete for titles rather than just making up the numbers in the premier tier of Gambian football.

Observer Sports had earlier on reported the near-collapse of the mutual partnership between the telecommunication institution and the Bakau team last month, but adamant club officials quickly stepped up to refute the claims.

However, if the words of the Africell official is anything to go by, some of those club officials will surely kiss the struggling club goodbye in the coming season. “We will have to restructure the team. And by that I mean we would like to maintain people who can bring about change, which we have been yearning for in the past five years,” said the official.

Africell won only 2, drew 3 and lost 6 matches in the first round of the Gambia Football Association First Division League season. They presently sit at the bottom rung of the rankings with only 9 points, 12 points adrift of league leaders Armed Forces.