Coach Sallah - Our Future is in Bonu’s Hands

Bonu Johnson

By Omar Bah

Nyanga Sallah, head coach of Serrekunda East’s second division team said the appointment of a Gambian-born coach to manage senior national team, Scorpions, is a welcome news to all Gambian coaches.

Sallah, who doubles as head coach of Leeds however cautioned that the future of local coaches in taking up such a responsibility depends on what coach Peter Bonu Johnson delivers.

He made this remarks in an exclusive interview with The Daily News sports at his team’s training grounds, behind the Charles Jow Senior School.

“If Bonu execute his duties as expected, Gambian coaches will benefit from it one day, but may god forbid if he fails, it will be a big blow to all Gambian coaches. So, I wish him good luck and successful two year,” he said.

Sallah continued: “If Bonu is given the necessary support, he will qualify the national team for the first time in the history of Gambian football to African Cup of Nations.”

Nyanga Sallah

Sallah, who is on preseason training with the Serrekunda East second division team said Bonu is his role model, and he believes that Bonu should be a role model to all Gambian coaches.

“He [Bonu] has done it with the junior teams and I know that he can do it at the senior level,” he added further.

Sallah also believes that Bonu’s predecessor, Belgian-born Paul Put was not a bad coach but his failure to qualify Gambia to African Cup of Nations, as promised, forced the GFA to sack him.

Bonu Johnson’s first task will be to beat the desert foxes of Algeria in both legs of the preliminary rounds for the 2013 qualifiers to have any chance of making it to the qualifiers proper. Gambia will host Algeria on the 29^th February 2012 in Banjul.