The dilemmas facing a young Gambian female footballer

Samba started playing football at the age of seven with her brothers but faced some opposition to the idea from her mother, luckily her father and brother backed her to pursue her football dreams.

“It wasn’t easy for me when I was younger because I was inspired by my brother. I’d always follow him when he left for training,” she recalled.

“I was not supported by my mother it was very difficult for her to understand the game of football especially when young girl played it but my dad supported me.

“She said that it would disturb me if I wanted to play football and go to school. It took her some time to understands that women also played football.

“Even when I was selected to be part of the national team in 2012 it was still difficult for her to understand, because I was supposed to sit to my exams but I was able to convince her using my sisters and my brother.”

She has represented The Gambia at international level but her passion for education has also limited her chances.

“When competitions clash with examinations, if it’s a mid-term exams they normally write to the university to allow me to join the team, and when am back I will sit my exams,”she explained.

“But if it’s the final exams I let go the football and concentrate on my exams.”

“I was supposed to be part of the team to the Wafu Zone A Women’s tournament in Sierra Leone in March but unfortunately I was doing my final exams in my second semester, so I explained to the head coach that I would not be able to make the squad.

“It was a very difficult decision to take but I also realized that at a certain age the only thing to depend on is education, that’s why I always advice my colleagues to not depend only on football because it won’t last forever.”

It was not the first time her studies have got in the way of her football she missed out on going to the 2012 Women’s Under-17 World Cup because she was often late to training as she was more focused on school and exams.