Mali fail to rescue Gambia

Mali’s failure to stretch Cape Verde in their final group tie in the on-going Zone II football championship currently underway in Guinea Bissau has cost Scorpion their qualification to the next round.

After a lacklustre start in the eight-team tournament, the Gambia Scorpions bounced back with a fascinating 3-0 win against Guinea Conakry on Wednesday. The Scorpions were hoping to progress to the semi-final stages if Mali had drawn with or beaten Cape Verde on the same day.

However, their hopes were dashed when the much-feared Malian sides were astonishingly subdued by Cape Verde before the two sides (Mali and Cape Verde) progressed to the semis as Group B first and second best respectively.

The duo join, at the semi-final stages, the host Guinea Bissau and Senegal, the rulers of Group B.

The Gambia travelled to Bissau with only home-based players hoping to win their first-ever Zone II trophy. They failed to impress in their debut group match as they lost 0-2 to Mali, marking Gambia’s first-ever defeat under the watchful eyes of Spanish Jose Martenez. The Scorpions could only fetch a point in their second match against Cape Verde. And the 3-0 win against Guinea on Wednesday failed to earn the Scorpions a semi-final berth.