Future Bi Complete Stunning Comeback to Win Women’s Second Division Title After Losing Six Key Players

Written by: Alieu Jallow

One of the standout stories from last weekend’s Gambian football action was Future Bi Women’s Football Club completing a remarkable turnaround on Saturday, June 27, clinching the Gambia Football Federation Women’s Second Division title just a year after suffering relegation from the top flight.

Their achievement is even more extraordinary considering the club lost six key players after relegation, forcing head coach Saidou O. Jeng to rebuild his squad almost from scratch with schoolgirls and community talent.

For many clubs, relegation signals decline. For Future Bi, it also meant becoming a talent pool for financially stronger teams.

Unable to compete with wealthier clubs that could offer employment and better opportunities, Future Bi watched as their first-choice goalkeeper and five other regular starters departed for clubs in The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal.

Speaking to The Fatu Network in a WhatsApp interview, Coach Jeng described the period as one of the toughest in the club’s history.

“We were in the first division and got relegated last season. One of the biggest challenges we faced was allowing our only goalkeeper to join Police because she secured employment there. If you don’t help these girls get jobs, you cannot keep them.

“What we do goes beyond football. We identify talented girls from schools, help enrol them, provide school materials, support their education throughout high school and, after graduation, we also try to help them find employment. Sometimes that means losing them to bigger clubs, but their future comes first.”

The goalkeeper’s departure marked the beginning of a daunting rebuild.

Jeng revealed that five more first-team players followed, leaving only a handful of experienced members in the squad.

“We lost five of our key players who were all regular starters. Our captain joined TMT in the First Division, one midfielder moved to a club in Kaolack, Senegal, another joined Berewuleng, one left because of work commitments and two other key players also departed.

“The only reinforcements we brought in this season were two players. The rest of the squad are young girls we recruited from schools.”

The mass exodus forced the coach to search for an inexperienced goalkeeper who had never featured in league competition. Rather than viewing the setback as the end of the road, Jeng saw the Second Division as a temporary stop on the club’s journey back to the elite league. The team regrouped with one objective: secure promotion.

As the season unfolded, however, they realised promotion was no longer the only target. They were genuine title contenders.

Driven by determination, discipline and teamwork, Future Bi went on to win the Second Division title, completing one of the most inspiring comeback stories in Gambian women’s football.

Asked what made the difference, Jeng pointed to the team’s collective spirit.

“Hard work, determination and teamwork were the key factors behind our success. By the grace of Allah, we now want to maintain this momentum. Building a team is difficult, but maintaining the momentum is even more important. Our priority is to keep the players who have embraced our culture and philosophy so we can continue building on what we have achieved,” he said.

Despite lifting the trophy, Jeng said the journey was far from easy.

Financial constraints threatened the club throughout the campaign, but the players’ commitment kept them moving forward.

“We faced numerous challenges, especially financial difficulties at the beginning of the season and towards the end. But through commitment and teamwork we managed to overcome them. It was a difficult experience, but it strengthened our togetherness, which has now become part of our team culture,” he said.

Away from the touchline, Jeng is a teacher whose passion for grassroots football began in his hometown of Sohm, where he organised matches for children in the community.

That passion has since evolved into a mission to identify, mentor and empower young girls through football, education and employment opportunities, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.

For Future Bi, football has become more than chasing trophies. It is a platform for changing lives.

After overcoming relegation, losing six key players and rebuilding with young talent, their Second Division triumph stands as proof that resilience, vision and belief can overcome adversity.

With promotion secured, Future Bi will return to the First Division next season carrying not only a championship trophy, but also one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Gambian women’s football.