Gambia 5 & 6

 

Ebrima Colley (Young Boys | SUI)
vs. Cameroon (2:3) | AFCON | 2024 in Ivory Coast

Jacob Mendy (Wrexham | WAL) & Omar Colley (Besiktas | TUR)
vs. Guinea (0:1) | AFCON | 2024 in Ivory Coast

Following the success of Gambia at the previous AFCON and the surprising second continuous qualification for Africas biggest tournament, Saller finally was convinced that the team is worthy of a bespoke desing. For the 2024, they thus created this beautiful piece that resembles the "2010 Puma thing in the corner" series with a Scorpion being that thing here, due to the nickname of the team.

Gambia could not repeat their success of the 2022 edition, though. On the surface, they just lost all three of their group stages matches and crashed out in the group stage. In fact, it was much more tense than that, though. Playing in a group with the defending champion Senegal, Cameroon and the usual dark horse Guinea, they basically never had a chance of advancing. Yet, in the last match, they had all to play for. With a win against Cameroon, they would proceed as one of the best third placed teams. After a Cameroonian lead, they turned the match around, making it 2:1, putting them atop Cameroon and into the knock-out stages. Only for Cameroon to equalize in the 87' minutes (which would mean that both teams are out) and then turn it into their favour (to proceed) in the 90+1'. An absolute thriller and arguably one of the best matches of football I have ever seen.

As the other Saller Gambia shirts, this one cost me about 30 or 35€ each and I was pleased to get them in time for the 2024 AFCON already.