By Adama Makasuba
The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) has officially announced the appointment of Yahya Manneh as the new Head Coach of the Gambia U-17 men’s team. Manneh has signed a two-year contract, which was finalized earlier today at Football House in Kanifing, with GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo in attendance.
Manneh, previously the assistant coach for the Gambia U-20 team, played a crucial role in their recent third-place finish at the WAFU-A tournament in Liberia. His success in this role has inspired confidence in his new position as the head coach of the U-17 team. In his new role, Manneh is tasked with developing a squad with a strong mentality, organizing training sessions and workshops to nurture young players, and implementing the four corner modules of Long-Term Player Development to enhance their growth in football.
Furthermore, he fosters collaborative relationships with regional coaches and the grassroots football manager to establish National U-12 and U-15 teams while supporting grassroots and youth football development programs. Manneh holds a CAF B coaching license and specializes in youth player development. He pursued his studies in the United Kingdom, obtaining FA Youth Module 1 & 2 qualifications and completing RFA/Olympic Solidarity level 3 coaching. Additionally, he is certified as a coach instructor by the GFF.
In addition to his coaching credentials, Yahya Manneh is the founder and head coach of KGH Sports Academy and has previously held coaching positions with Elite United, Brufut United, Lamin United, Steve Biko, and Brentford FC U-21 Academy. He has been acknowledged for contributing to the Gambia U-20 team, winning awards as an assistant coach under Matarr Mboge and Abdoulie Bojang.
For this new role, Manneh will be supported by Lamin Sanneh as his assistant coach, Bakary Sanyang as trainer, and Adama Jatta from the GAF as goalkeeper coach. He is set to lead the U-17 squad in the upcoming WAFU-A TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Thies, Senegal, scheduled from October 20 to November 3, 2024.
