BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Estonian and Real de Banjul’s head coach Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko says he’s happy for his boys and winning the first three points as Real de Banjul began its 2022/23 GFF League Division One season with a 4-1 thumping victory over the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF). The City Boys went behind to a first-half lead before a second-half brilliant display with a brace each from forward Salifu Colley and striker Abdoulie Baldeh was enough to turn the game on Real’s favor. “I am happy for the boys that we won the first three points, it’s very important that we start well. I felt a little bit of tension because we trained for three months and the boys wanted to succeed,” Zahovaiko said. He added: “In the first half, we struggled a lot but after the halftime team talk, we came back with a good attitude. Congratulations to everyone”. He said it was very “nice goals (scored by by Colley and Baldeh) because, in the first half, we only had two shots on the goal, not much so two is not enough. So, that was the message that we have to score more and as quickly as possible and it happened in the second minute of the second half. I like that we have nice combination play and really fast arrival in front of the goal with or touch finishing. I’m happy for the boys.” Zahovaiko who’s commonly known as Slava, hailed the team spirit of his side saying: “It’s not easy to come back when you are one zero down. So I think we have a good spirit in the team, and what I like about the boys is that they hate to lose, I think that’s the most important thing. They (GAF) had a lucky goal, I’m not sure if it’s a goal or not but we have to trust the linesman”. Slava notes that he wasn’t lucky for the red card on the GAF goalkeeper but agreed it makes it easy to play against a team with a man down. “I cannot say that it’s a lucky red card for us because we try to play more directly behind the line and with the first ball we succeeded, the goalkeeper committed the mistake and when a team (the opponent) is one man down it’s easier to play, but I can say that the opponent fought still so it wasn’t an easy game for us”. The new Real de Banjul gaffer outlined the targets for him and his team for the new league season saying that it is: “to win the league and to help the players to reach the next (professional) level and help the club to have a good and solid training system. That’s my target!” Abdoulie Baldeh, who scored a brace on the evening, said he was happy to score in the first game of the season and he felt it was deserved after the preparation they’ve been through. Baldeh said: “Last season,…

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Real de Banjul Head Coach Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko says he is surprised how quickly the City Boys’ players have understood his instructions and tactics after just a few days of working with them at the Live Your Dream Sports Academy in Basori. The Estonian tactician, who’s also known as ‘Slava’, went straight to work after he was unveiled as the club’s new head coach and manager last week and has already to put in place a structure at the club by creating a team and putting across his ideas in time before the start of the 2022/23 GFF League Division One season. The 40-year-old had the chance to meet and familiarize himself with the players and also try to get first hand information of the players he will be managing. “I am really happy with the first week. I need a little bit of time to get to know each player but with everyday going by, I am understanding who is who. I am really happy with the attitude of the boys and they’re really training well. Yes, we have some adjustment to make, it’s not easy for them and for me as well but they listen, they understand and that’s the most important thing at the moment. So, I am really glad with this week,” Zahovaiko said. The former Paide Linnameeskond coach added: “We can always debate about talent and everyone sees differently but for my experience, what talent means for me is you’re hardworking. If you work hard, you can find many good things about yourself. So, everything starts with the attitude and hard work and I have already seen that.” Slava admits he’s also taken aback by how quick the playing group understand his instructions, saying: “We haven’t talk about ideas until Friday, the fifth day of training. We played a big game 11 against 11 and I gave some assignments for one group and I was very surprised, really surprised how they took this information. They are very smart boys and for me, this very promising with the way they react. They are eager to learn, I have seen that too. I have seen that the players also accepted me into the team, so I am happy and I really also hope that the players feel the same because this is important.” Goalkeeper Lamin Saidy meanwhile is a fan of Zahovaiko’s personality and he thinks they are lucky to have him at Real de Banjul. “He is a great coach. So far the way things are going is promising and he’s a down to earth person, he has empathy and he brings himself to our level which will help us a lot to connect with him. He has a good communication skills with the way he makes us understand what he wants to be done. It’s easy but as time goes on we’ll understand better how he wants us to play.” Saidy added: “He’s teaching us how to be behave professionally off…

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Real de Banjul Football Club is delighted to confirm the appointment of Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko as the Club’s new Head Coach and Manager for the upcoming season. Zahovaiko flew into the country for the first time earlier this week and he is expected to guide the team into the 2022/23 Gambia Football Federation League Division One season as well as being responsible for managing the affairs of all of the Club’s youth categories. The 40-year-old former footballer takes up the reigns of leadership at Real de Banjul after leaving our Estonian partner-club, Paide Linnameeskond, on mutual terms in December 2021. His arrival into the country happened through a technical cooperation with Paide Linnameeskond which will see Real de Banjul benefiting from technical assistance amongst others. Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko, commonly called Slava, is one of the most exciting coaches in the game and he is a UEFA Pro Licence holder. He was responsible for the development and giving chances to two former Real de Banjul players in Alassana Jatta and Muhammed Sanneh during their time in Paide before their eventual moves to Danish club Viborg FF and Czech side FC Baník Ostrava respectively. On becoming Real de Banjul’s new gaffer, Slava said: “It feels really good to be here. So far the impression is really nice and the people in the club look to be very ambitious. Since I arrived here, they have provided me with a lot of information which I am analysing and the first thing I want to do is to quickly get to know my staff members. I need to introduce to them the way I work and they have to feel that I trust them and of course I need to feel that they trust me too. I also need to find a good language with my staff members, because without them I cannot achieve anything”. He added: “We have to build together a good environment and be patient with the players because nothing comes easy overnight. So, the primary thing is to organize good training sessions here and I believe it will take a little bit of time but I’m sure we will handle that because that is the foundation to develop the players in a proper way. I am interested in hardworking because I have a reputation of being a very demanding coach and I always put my targets as high as possible. I believe in hard work and the players also have to believe in what we are doing and be disciplined!” When asked about his feeling when he first heard of the interest from Real de Banjul, he said: “I was very surprised in the beginning but I didn’t hesitate with the answer to say yes to the job because I really wanted to come here. This is not a touristic visit and that is why I am prepared mentally to work here and achieve new heights with the club. I think Real de Banjul is a great club…

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Real de Banjul President William Abraham has called on the club’s coaching and playing staff to be more dedicated and committed to the Club in an end of season annual meeting held at the Oasis Apartments in Senegambia. The meeting was organized at the back of a season that saw the City Boys finish second in the GFF First Division League and losing six players who all secured professional football contracts. Making his remarks at the gathering, club President Abraham called for everyone’s commitment to the club saying that “if you are part of a team, you’ve to be part of it and have discipline which is broad while dedication is another important feature a person needs to succeed in life.” Abraham added: “These qualities are broad and includes a lot of things. If you’re part of a setup, you need to be part of it in a way that you make sure that you are achieving the goals of that place but not just to be there for your selfish interest. People should not just be showing up when it’s time for benefits and lack behind when it’s time for work. I am the president of the club but people who are my bosses put me in this position.” “This is a team that was formed since 1966, the oldest in the country. It took a lot of hard work to be here today as the biggest club in the county. Our wish is to be one of the top clubs in Africa but that can only be if we are all committed to Real de Banjul.” The Club’s Technical Director, Pa Suwareh Faye, is with the opinion that Real de Banjul got a successful season saying: “This is one of the most successful seasons for Real de Banjul because, the club has transferred six players this season and we were able to name only eighteen players on the matchday squad for last of the season and because of your dedication and commitment, we were still able to finish second.” “Lamin Saidy has at some point got invitations to the national team, from there four players got invited to the national CHAN team, four to the U20 for the WAFU and now five to the U23s who are preparing for a home base players’ AFCON qualifier,” Faye added. The Gambia U20 captain Kajally Drammeh joined Cape Town City of South Africa while Ebrima Jarju, Ebrima Singhateh, Bubacarr Tambedou, and Foday Darboe all joined Estonian giants and partner club Paide Linnameeskond with striker Babucarr Jallow moving to Angola’s Wiliete SC. Ten players have been invited to various national team setups with Lamin Saidy, Gregory Sambou, David Sambou, Modou Manneh, Samba Jallow, and Muhammed Baldeh all being called up to The Gambia U23 while Alieu Gibba, Yaya Bojang, Salifu Colley and Abdoulie Baldeh were invited to the U20. For his part, head coach, Bye Malleh Wadda said: “It has been a difficult season, we wanted to…

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Real de Banjul Football Club can announce that midfielder Foday Darboe has swapped sides by leaving us to join Estonian club Paide Linnameeskond. The 19-year-old defensive midfielder, who is a versatile player that can also play as a central defender, joined his compatriots and former Real de Banjul teammates, Ebrima Jarju, Bubacarr Tambedou and Ebrima Singhateh, at the Estonian top club. He joins Paide despite earlier interest from Czech Republic giants Slavia Prague who were also keen in tapping him up. “Foday is a player with immense qualities as a footballer, since we noticed his talent from day one, we knew he will be a player who can easily take the next step to go and become a professional player and we are happy he now is,” President William Abraham said. Abraham added: “We had concrete interest in him from Slavia Prague but of course in football, you can never say no to any offer and since we failed to hear from Slavia on time, we thought it was best to have him go start his career playing first team football somewhere than being in a B-team of a big club where it can be 50/50 career wise. So starting from somewhere and going to the top level, for me, is a good start for him.” Gert Kams, the Paide Sports Director said Foday has been a player they have been monitoring and with his qualities, can be a good addition to their squad saying: “Foday is one of those players who arrived in Paide through our cooperation with Real Banjul. He is a versatile player who can cover different positions on the pitch. He has good defensive qualities and as a modern footballer, he is confident with the ball.” For his part, Foday said that: “Words are lacking to express my gratitude to Real de Banjul who gave me the chance to show my talents until I started getting noticed by European clubs. I am happy now signing for Paide which is a well-established and structured club with big goals and ambitions. I’m really looking forward to helping the team with my skills and work to move towards reaching our goals.” Foday will wear jersey number 4 for Paide Linnameeskond who are getting set to face Belgian giants Anderlecht in the Third qualifying round of the 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League. Everyone at Real de Banjul wishes Foday Darboe the best of luck as he starts his professional football career.

Real de Banjul comfortably cruised past Brikama United 3-1 at the renovated KG5 Mini Stadium in Banjul to compete the double over the Sateyba boys who they saw off to a 1-0 victory in the first round. The victory cannot happen in a more dramatic fashion than seeing our own Brikama-born lads in Lamin Badjie, Amadou Nyassi and Modou Manneh all combining to score against their former side on Wednesday. Lamin Badjie opened the scoring at the 22nd minute after a cross from Modou Manneh before Brikama United drew level through Mustapha Drammeh in the 36th minute. Amadou Nyassi restored the City Boys’ lead at the stroke of halftime after being set-up by Lamin Badjie with Modou Manneh volleying home the third to give Real a comfortable lead and victory. Lamin Badjie who opened the scoring and laid two assists spoke to the media after the match saying: “I want to thank Brikama United for my time there, football cannot separate us”. When asked if playing against his former side or showing that he has what it takes to perform at the highest level was behind his best outing for Real de Banjul, the player, commonly called L Boy: “It’s just a game for me, irrespective of the team that you’re playing against. So, any jersey that I put on I give out my best, it doesn’t matter whether I from Brikama or not. Every little child’s dream is to play for Real de Banjul, it’s a noble club so I am here, I am happy to be part of the Real de Banjul family. I also want to make records and history for this great club.” L Boy says he is also dreaming of representing the Scorpions later in his career saying: “I don’t want to be just playing the first division, I am pursuing a higher career like playing for The Gambia U20, CHAN team, and further my career to a higher stage”. The winger has now notched two goals and two assists after struggling for playing since signing for the City Boys especially when Kajally Drammeh and Modou Lamin Demba were around plus a groin injury that kept him away for months. Lamin’s fellow Sateyba Boys who made the headlines at the KG5, defender Modou Manneh, registered three goals and three assists, whilst midfielder Amadou Nyassi, who’s now finding his footing in the team has two goals to his to his name. The impressive victory over Brikama United means Real de Banjul has now secured the second place and move to within three points to leaders Hawks FC who played a game less, with two games to go for the City Boys.

Real de Banjul Football Club is pleased to announce the transfer of attacking duo Modou Lamin Demba and Babucarr Cherno Jallow to Angolan side Wiliete Sport Clube. The attacking duo will spend the next few seasons at the Benguela-based club after signing two-year contracts.

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Striker Mustapha Jallow bagged a sublime hattrick to guide Real de Banjul secure a comfortable 3-0 victory over Banjul United in a match played at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on Wednesday evening. Jallow was at his blistering best in front of goal after opening the scoring after 12 minutes when he tapped home a low cut back from winger Salifu Colley.

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Captain Gregory Sambou says Real de Banjul still has a chance to win the league despite being held to a goalless by Steve Biko at the weekend. The City Boys needed the maximum points to maintain a one point difference and stay close to league leaders Hawks FC who secured victory over the Gambia Ports Authority.

BY: Media Officer Foday Jatta Real de Banjul goalkeeper Lamin Saidy says the eight remaining matches in the ongoing GFF League Division One are finals and he and his teammates are ready to fight to win the league title. The City Boys were on a run of three games without a win, including a shocking 2-1 loss in the FF Cup to second-tier side Jam City to end our stay in the Cup competition. The side brushed aside the Cup disappointment with an emphatic 6-0 win over the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) on Wednesday with goals from Salifu Colley, Abdoulie Baldeh, Alieu Gibba, Essa Jallow, Baboucarr Jobe and Lamin Badjie.