Gambia goes local
- Saturday, 31 December 2011
- Written by Modou Lamin Beyai
The Gambia has gone local by finally naming Peter Bonu Johnson as head coach who will take over affairs of the senior national team after the services of Belgian Paul Put was terminated at the end of October 2011.
A release from the Ministry of Youth and Sports yesterday states that they have engaged the services of Peter Bonu Johnson as coach of the senior national football team for an initial period of one year. He will be working with a competent foreign coach with an appropriate operational framework. He will also work with a technical team to assist him in his duties.
Bonu Johnson had previously served as coach to both the National Under 17 and Under 20 football teams. Until his appointment, Bonu was the coach of Gambia Ports Authority of the GFA first division team.
The release went on further to state that, Bonu shall, in collaboration with the Gambia Football Association select a national team to compete in the next AFCON matches to reach the qualification stage and also prepare the team for the next round of World Cup qualifying matches.
Bonu has barely a month to prepare the team for its next outing in the 2013 AFCON qualifiers taking place on the 28th February against North African opponents, Algeria but the Ministry has said that will shall through the national sports council provide the necessary funds to enable Bonu Johnson and the FA carry out their duties of developing a national team and guiding the players in a professional manner to represent The Gambia.
Bonu feels elated in his appointment as coach of the national team and can’t hide his feelings of being reunited with his former players and for him, glory should always be to God.
Peter Bonu Johnson
Peter Bonu Johnson (born May 10, 1963 in Banjul), is a former footballer for the national team and coach of Gambia Ports Authority and was also coach of the Gambian Under-20 national team, which he led during the FIFA World Youth Championship 2007 in Canada.
He was once the caretaker coach of the national football team until the coming of Paul Put. He himself was an active player in the national team from 1983 to 1996. He played in the qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations against Congo in 1996. He had 38 appearances in the national team as a defender and scored four goals according to records.
He met his retirement as a player when he injured his right eye in a game and then decided to take up a coaching career.