The Gambia Scorpions are set to play Kosovo this evening in Turkey’s Emirhan Sports Center Stadium for another friendly game of the boys’ preparation for the January CAF-AFCON tournament. The two teams never met. On the latest FIFA rankings, Kosovo is Kosovo (120th) is 32 places above The Gambia (152nd).
One Kosovar player to watch carefully in today’s match is undoubtedly Bernard Challendes. His attacking style of play has given Kosovo an excellent start to their FIFA-recognised status. Kosovo’s vibrant patterns of play are often undone by its adversaries and sometimes lead to occasional hammering.
This means reasons to doubt Kosovo’s ability to win the Scorpions. Kosovo failed to build trust after recent weak performances. In its past eight matches, Kosovo has won only once, with five defeats and one draw.
The Kosovar come up against a Gambian side that defeated Togo by a goal to nil in midweek to make it four consecutive matches in which The Gambia kept a clean sheet.
The Gambian Scorpions are showing steady form going unbeaten in their 9 previous games, in all competitions, with six wins and three draws.
In a match where Kosovo has only scored once in their last 12 matches and given Kosovo’s ambitious attacking play, goals should be on the cards of the Scorpions.