If poured water could be gathered and what already is, is rectifiable, then Sheriff Sinyan would have been cutting it in the Uefa Champions League.
Not much has been said about him in seasons gone by and the tend could have continued had multiple Norwegian Premier League champions Molde not quickly snatched him off Lillestrom’s grasp.
Sheriff, at time of his signing, wasn’t far from being a regular for his former club but still had to contend with tagging of being viewed a work-in-progress.
Molde, regardless of the player’s circumstances, parted with bucks to secure the Gambian’s services. The move was a business most Molde fans perceived as away from fathomable considering Sinyan wasn’t the calibre they “expected”.
It became a chance too tempting to turn one’s back on for the 23-year-old Scorpion and grabbed it, he did. Like all new signings without clout to do the talking for them, the midfielder had to wait for his chance from the coach. It didn’t come easy.
There were critics’ assessments of him to prove wrong and this wasn’t aided by reality that Molde is a big team with heavy expectations whose fans barely let poor performances go without reviewed and poor performers of each game subjected to constant chastising.
However, this was destined not to be the Gambian’s portion. Working one’s way into a coach’s thinking at a new club should hint of exceptional talent. Sinyan pulled off the magic trick to get a front-seat treatment in the pecking order as he racked up minutes after minutes in consecutive matches.
For the records, it will sure tantamount to a classic case of exaggeration to mark the player an “excellent” buy based on the few games he’d had gotten shoved into so far.
But one thing appears apparent – he has won his place at a mammoth club with not just eye-bulging ambition but excruciating season expectations to meet.
Seven starts in eleven matches sums up some noticeable improvements especially during the Champions League qualifiers.
The towering hard-tackling play-maker has figured in all games in the competition with exception of the remaining two in the play-offs during which he was handed a spectator role, watching from the directors’ box.
Molde swaggered over Qarabag on penalties before losing to Hungary’s Ferecvarous on penalties after a narrow 3-3 aggregate encounter.
Uefa Champions League draws done yesterday would have meant Sheriff facing Critisano Ronaldo’s Juventus in the groupings but this deduction has been placated with Molde’s facing Arsenal where he is bound to face the much heralded Aubameyang in the Europa League.
Gambians will be thrilled to watch how their own marvels, fares or covers every strand of grass in defensive midfield when the tourney gets started.
