Ali Sowe makes Italian Serie A debut for Chievo

Gambian striker Ali Sowe

Gambia international striker Ali Sowe marked his Italian Serie A debut on Sunday in AC Chievo Verona’s last home match of the season which ended in a draw.

The teenage Gambian striker came in as an 82nd minute substitute for Cyril Théréau in Chievo’s 1-1 draw against Torino at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi.

Cyril Théréau put the hosts in front after 10 minutes, but Alessio Cerci equalised with a penalty only nine minutes later.

Ali Sowe, who was making his Serie A debut, last week scored a brace in the second team’s win over Palermo that allowed them to reach the last eight of their play-offs.

Sowe, who is the Gambia’s first export to sign for a Serie A side after Alhagie Bun Gaye of GPA tried without success in 2009, caught the eye of Chievo’s scouts during an international U-19 tournament staged in Umbria, Italy last year. At the time he was with the Gambian junior team in May last year.

The 18-year-old made his senior team debut for Gambia during the Scorpions second leg match with Algeria in the qualifiers for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.