By Adama Makasuba
Jonathan McKinstry, the head coach of the Scorpions, has announced the 23-man squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar. In a press briefing on Thursday, he revealed that Hamza Barry and striker Alasana Jatta will be unable to participate in the forthcoming matches due to injuries. “Hamza Barry underwent a scan for his hamstring yesterday. I spoke with him this morning, and he will not be part of the match-day squad. Hamstring injuries require proper rest and recovery,” stated head coach McKinstry during the squad unveiling at the Gambia Football Federation House.
Striker Alasana Jatta will also be absent from the matches as he is still recuperating from a concussion. McKinstry expressed his desire to have Jatta in the squad but acknowledged and respected his decision to wait until he felt utterly fit before rejoining the team. This development comes as the team gears up for crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
McKinstry elaborated that Alasana Jatta is a player we want in the squad. However, there are a few considerations for Alasana; he has had intermittent appearances for his team recently. He sustained a significant concussion a few weeks ago, and he has been recovering. After our discussion, Alasana felt he was not yet at 100% and preferred to wait until he fully recovered. Therefore, we have mutually agreed that he will not participate.
