Gambian footballers back in the days never commanded millions in the European transfer market with Njogu Demba being the only player to be ever valued over a million euros translating as over 66million Gambian dalasis when he moved from Esbjerg of Denmark to SK Brann in Norway, January 1st 2008.
Before, then Jatto Ceesay at D22million dalasis (400,000 euros), Seyfo Soley at 39million dalasis (700,000 euros), Dawda Bah at 39million, Demba Savage at 50million dalasis in 2016 (900,000 euros) and Edrissa Sonko at D27 million (500,000 euros) were Gambia’s all-time most expensive stars until Njogu broke the record with his 66million dalasis transfer fee.
Njogu’s feat stood unmatched for seven years before Mustapha Carayol smashed it then Modou Barrow topping that with his departure from Sweden’s second division side Ostersunds to Swansea September 2014.
The national record of who’s the most valuable Gambian player since then seems to change virtually every two or three years.
Gambia News makes a quick compilation of who’s the most expensive Scorpion abroad and the results will sure shock you.
ALI SOWE: Formerly of Gamtel FC, Sowe is a household name from Serrekunda rising from nawettan football, league to various categories of the national youth teams before going abroad in 2013 signing for Chievo. He holds record of being the first Gambian to sign and play in the Serie A. However, he couldn’t establish himself there and after a myriad of loan spells shortened by endless injuries, Sowe felt he is better of out of Italy and his gamble paid off.
Albania’s Skenderbeu was his destination where he won both the league and golden boot in teh first season scoring 21 goals, becoming the first Gambian to get that much goals in a single league season. A return to Chievo followed but found out he wasn’t needed by his parent employers and he opted to sign in Bulgaria at his current club for over D56 million dalasis on loan before making it a permanent contract last year. Today, he is valued around little over 111million Gambian dalasis and is being followed by Fernabache of Turkey.
MODOU BARROW: Barrow is still a squad regular for Gambia and his squabble with coach Tom Saintfiet aside, he has been important so far. He took the crown of Gambia’s most valuable footballer from Mustapha Carayol in 2014 for his 99million Gambian dalasis transfer to Swansea City becoming the second Gambian to sign in the EPL but the first to play there.
The left-sided midfielder would go on to break the feat when he joined Leeds United in 2017 on loan with a 167million dalasis transfer, equaling this with his exit to Reading August that year. Any club wiling to sign him will have to pay at least 88million Gambian dalasis. The left-sided midfielder currently has issues with his Turkish club after leaving without permission over the coronavirus. He is this moment in The Gambia.
OMAR COLLEY: This man from Lamin village, home of Seyfo Soley, is the epitome of patience is a virtue. He would have been playing at the Major League Soccer who knows by know if he had signed for Sporting Kansas City after passing a trial there in 2011. However, the fee asked by Wallidan, then under the late OB Conateh, was considered too much by the American club and returned the then left-back did before crossing the divide to Real de Banjul in 2012. That year, he joined Finnish club KuPS on a free transfer then flew to Djurgarden IF after impressing in Helsinki, one of the most respected Swedish clubs for a fee of 19million dalasis then switched to Genk of Belgium who later sold him for 455million dalasis making him the most expensive Gambian player then, a fee Bubacarr Sanneh equaled in 2018.
Today, he is pegged at around 305 million Gambian dalasis which is in fact a drop from the initial 835 million dalasis quoted to have been his fee when Newcastle United, Everton, Stoke City and Southampton including West Ham United chased him some months ago. Omar has definitely risen!
MUSA BARROW: Gambian First Division club Hawks pocketed around 11,145,369 (eleven million, one hundred forty-five thousand, three hundred sixty-nine) dalasis when they allowed Musa Barrow to join Atalanta’s youth team in 2017.
Barrow’s price rose to over 27 million dalasis twelve months later but they still wouldn’t sell him despite Inter Milan and AS Roma, notable moneybags of the Serie A, clamouring for his services. Playing minutes turned mountainous to achieve, forcing him to join Bologna for a fee quoted to be over 612million dalasis. So Musa Barrow is officially Gambia’s most expensive player ever as we write.
The value of Gambian players abroad is pegged at over 26m euros translating as over a billion Gambian dalasis.
