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| Tijan Jaiteh dumps Gambia for personal issues |
Dispute over refund for an air ticket is the major reason
for Tijan Jaiteh’s refusal to join the Scorpion squad for the Ivory Coast duel,
it has emerged.
Jaiteh was part of the Gambian team travelling to Abidjan
for the World Cup qualifier match but was inexplicably left out. No reason was
given about the Sandefjord midfielder’s unavailability amid claims of a
suspected rift with football authorities. But a deep dig into the issue spilled
the beans.
The Sandefjord player, it emerged, refused to join the team
insisting his air ticket be refunded by authorities. An official disclosed,
that the midfielder demanded for his invitation to be sent to him earlier – a
request the coaches rejected instead opting to invite him at the same time as
his foreign-based Scorpion team-mates.
But Jaiteh insisted on coming earlier and paid his own air
ticket even before his invitation reached him and the trouble ensued when he
threatened not to travel with the team unless he is refunded.
“He (Tijan Jaiteh) refused to go with the team,” Bakary B
Baldeh confirmed yesterday. Efforts was been made by the Sports Ministry and Gambia
Football Association top brass for his reimbursement, our source adds, but the
player decided to pull out of the Scorpion camp altogether.
“Tijan has other errands to run after in the country aside
from the coming for the Ivory Coast game and wanted to be called earlier which
is not right. If he has his personal things to run he has to pay his own air
ticket at his special time and not forced the coaches invite him at a date
which is not right.”
“He claims to sacrifice to come over earlier but that is not
actually what brought him. And, after all plans were at hand to refund him in
time, he refused to board the bus [to head to the airport for the Ivory Coast trip],”
an official who pleaded for cover said.
Tijan’s decision to pull out of the team forced head coach Luciano
Mancini to resort to using Ebrima Sohna and Yankuba Ceesay and double defensive
midfield setup in the defeat to Ivory Coast.
BY: Sulayman Bah plus additional reporting by this blog
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