Goalkeeper Robert Badjie quits Israeli club

Gambia international goalkeeper, Rober Badjie, alias Papis, has left his Israeli Premier League club, Hakoach Ramat Gan, well before his one-year loan deal had expired, Observer Sports has reliably gathered.

The former Banjul Hawks keeper left unceremoniously after falling out with Hakoach Ramat’s controversial coach Dudu Dahan. Badgie had earlier on regained his position at the Hakoach Ramat’s  goal mouth at the expense of the under-fire keeper Nir Abarbanel whose shaky performance reduced him to a surplus to requirement.

But the Scorpions keeper, who joined the club alongside his fellow country man Ken Malamin Jammeh last season , was not to spend much time at the bottom club’s goal mouth.

Reporters bombarded him with questions after the club's recent loss to Netanya, asking him about his poor performance. Badjie, who is reported to be not used to the pressures of the Israeli press, blamed the coach.

"Dudu makes mistakes all the time," he told the reporter of a local Ramat Gan newspaper. "If you want to be respected by the players, you have to give them respect. We are playing with only one striker and just kicking the ball up field."

Badjie later told management that he made a mistake and apologised, but coach Dahan would not forgive him. He was benched the following match, and recently he left the club who have gained only seven points out of a possible 33 in the season so far.