Ebou Sillah has bemoaned the disregard of former internationals despite their sacrifice for the national team.
Retired and pursuing football business, Ebou now 40, is capped twenty-three times for the Scorpions before quitting international football in 2008.
The Bakau-born was the closest to succeeding where his generation failed when he shepherded Gambia for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Taking over from Jatto as team leader, the diminutive starlet guided Gambia into a pulling off a 1-1 draw with Senegal.
And during his stints with the senior team, the ex-Real de Banjul attacker said he has witnessed it all with the squad including times he had to forgo lucrative club bonuses to come for national duties or purchase tickets for fellow Gambia internationals without refund.
“I have spent a lot in the national team. Zone Two was never in the Fifa calendar but I would sacrifice to come ignore my club bonuses to play for Gambia,” he said.
“When I stayed in Belgium, because that the transit point, I would be asked to pay tickets for players coming for the national team that I would be refunded. But I will not be refunded. Interestingly, I will come to the stadium but I will be asked to pay for tickets to watch the games. Former players, not only me but even many others before us need to be respected and utilised. Some of us have knowledge of coaching ; there is Edi (Edrissa Sonko), Kamal (Nd’aw). All these people should be used to help guide our national team players but we are not using them. This is not an attack on the GFF but some of those in our FA have never played football. Personally, I have never been approached by the GFF to help in any way and the current coach Tom Saintfiet knows me and Edi very well but he has chosen not to contact us for assistance. The GFF should have consulted all the ex-players who are coaching at top level and seek help from them or their opinion regarding the national team. I visit Gambia five times in the year, my doors are always open and I’m sure many of the other internationals of my generation who are into coaching are also willing to help but they have to be valued and consulted,” he told Star TV.
where he nad his peer generation and while his peers failed to get
