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Written by: Dawda Baldeh
Gambia’s most-capped international footballer and national icon, Baboucarr “Captain Laos” Sowe, has publicly endorsed Musa Jammeh, popularly known as the “Footballer President”, as the best candidate to lead the Gambia Football Federation (GFF), urging delegates to back him at this month’s Elective Congress.
Speaking during the launch of Jammeh’s manifesto and the unveiling of his campaign team last week, the former Scorpions captain said Gambian football needs a leader with first-hand experience at the highest level of the game.
“I am a legend, the most-capped player, and I have helped develop many players. I believe that if Musa is elected, he will take our football to another level.
We need to support those who are trying and capable of delivering,” Captain Laos declared.
He said Jammeh would become only the second former national team player to lead Gambian football after Ousman Sillah.
“Musa has dedicated his life to Gambian football. He will surely deliver. Let us support him and remain positive,” he added.
Captain Laos also reflected on Jammeh’s rise through the ranks, revealing that he played a pivotal role in bringing him from Saraba Football Club to Wallidan FC.
“I have known Musa since his days at Nusrat High School. He rose from the grassroots to the summit.
When I saw him playing for Saraba in Brikama, I told Wallidan founder Fisco Conateh that I had found a talented midfielder.
That’s how we scouted him alongside players like Latif Janneh and brought them to Wallidan.”
According to the football legend, Jammeh’s lifelong commitment to the sport is beyond question.
“From Wallidan, he joined Gambia Armed Forces, and later he told me about his Nawettan team in Lamin called Falcons. Football has always been the centre of Musa’s life.
Falcons grew from Lamin and competed in Serrekunda East because they wanted to challenge themselves.”
Captain Laos, who later coached GAF FC, said Jammeh’s grassroots football philosophy helped identify and nurture players who went on to represent the country.
“Falcons scouted talented players from Serrekunda East and brought them to GAF.
That system produced players like Sheriff Samba and Lamin Colley, who later played for the national team.”
The veteran football administrator also praised Jammeh’s vision of expanding football infrastructure across the country.
“If all stakeholders support Musa, Gambian football will move forward.
He spoke about building stadiums in all the regions, and that is the way forward.”
Captain Laos also called for greater government investment in sports while cautioning against what he described as the country’s tendency to project negative narratives.
“During our school days, Armitage was a dominant force, but where is Armitage in Gambian football today? As Musa said, we need government support.
The other day I watched a TikTok video where people were talking about corruption.
I told someone that we should stop projecting a negative image of our country without evidence because it is easy to make accusations.”
A Football Icon
Born in Banjul in September 1954, Baboucarr Sowe earned the nickname “Laos” during childhood and went on to become one of the greatest midfielders in Gambian football history.
He is uniquely remembered as the last captain of the national team under the name Gambia XI and the first captain of The Scorpions following the national team’s rebranding.
During an international career spanning more than a decade, he became one of the country’s most decorated footballers, winning numerous domestic titles with Wallidan FC before retiring in 1986.
Following his playing career, Captain Laos coached both Wallidan FC and GAF FC, served on the Gambia Football Association’s Technical Committee, and in 2012 was honoured by the Gambia National Olympic Committee as the “Most Outstanding Sports Personality of the Year.”
