Sports

Seun Methowe, Head of Advertising and Partnership Sales, DAZN

Seun Methowe, Head of Advertising and Partnership Sales, at global live sport OTT platform, DAZN, believes that new technologies and in particular streaming will create more demand from upwardly mobile players and lead to a transformation in the way that betting brands and broadcasters engage with the market.

Speaking ahead of his appearance at October’s ICE Africa where he will be one of 65 thought leaders contributing to the event’s learning streams, Methowe, confirmed: “DAZN’s platform Goal.com is the number one football destination on the continent with more than 20m users drawn from throughout the regulated gaming economies.  We are already working with major broadcasters and betting firms across Africa and there’s no doubt that technology will revolutionize the consumption of live and original sports content.”

He added: “New markets in entertainment, including virtual and fantasy football, are trends that experts in the gambling and betting industry will need to explore. Millennials in Africa are upwardly mobile and aspirational with huge numbers digesting information on sports, news and entertainment platforms with social media contributing to the ‘fuelling’ of this information digest.

“Content providers within the gaming industry are looking towards the creation of sustainable models and with a huge population base in excess of 1.3bn the potential in Africa is massive. ICE Africa is a powerful networking platform for stakeholders and therefore invaluable to any operator, decision maker or executive in the industry to garner knowledge and the opportunities that exist to grow their businesses.”

ICE Africa (2-3 October, Sandton Convention Centre, South Africa) provides an invaluable opportunity for operators, regulators and suppliers to meet, network, share best practice and see the very latest gaming products and services from the industry’s leading innovators.  Described by industry observers as ‘A showcase event that Africa can be proud of’ attendees will benefit from a programme of engaging content including Thought Leadership, Training, Regulation, Online vs. Retail, Integrated Resorts, Branding, Marketing, Sports and eSports.  Seun Methowe will be part of the panel entitled: Sports Content: How will the growth of streaming services impact sports betting and horse racing?

By Bakary Ceesay

 A squad of 21 athletes and officials has  fly Gambia’s flag high at this year’s 12th edition of the African Games to be held in Morocco from August 16-31.

The team will have representation in 5 out of 26 sporting disciplines being contested at the games.

As per the norm at the African Games, Team Gambia’s biggest contingent will come from athletics with a total of 9 athletes. Other disciplines that will form part of the team are: beach volleyball, swimming, judo and basketball 3×3.

Formerly known as All Africa games, the African Games is an important multi-sport event and the premier pinnacle of continental games held every four years – one year before the Olympic Games.

Team Gambia comprises of Olympians Adama Jammeh and Gina Bass on the tracks, beach volleyball continental cup finalist Abie Kujabie/Fatoumatta Ceesay and Qatar prince cup winners Sainey Jawo/Mbye Babou Jarra, World Championship contestant Abdourahman Ceesay and his partner for Judo and experienced swimmers and basketball 3×3 superstars.

By Bakary Ceesay

Coach Tom Saintfiet has had his contract with the Gambia extended for two more years.

Gambia National team Scorpions Head Coach Tom Saintfiet has made public a list of 41 players in a provisional selection for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers encounter against Angola.

The squad contains many familiar names that have been part of recent positive results, including the recent double 1-0 wins over African powerhouses Guinea and Morocco. There are also spaces for some young and upcoming players who have been identified for selection, including Momodou Bojang, the Brikama United star striker who impressed with his two-goal haul against Raja Casablanca in the first leg of their CAF Champions League encounter.

“This is a provisional list as per FIFA regulations, however, there is still time for more names to be added. Nonetheless, I am very satisfied with this pool of players which is a combination of experienced heads and young, hungry players eager to make their mark,” Saintfiet explained.

“We understand as coaches that most of the discussion will be about who is not here, but we prefer to focus on the players we have here. This selection is not against anyone but an endorsement of the work most of these players have put in so far. However, we don’t want to take it easy now and we know that we must work harder even though we have enjoyed some fantastic results recently. We want to progress to the group stages and we feel that the players selected here will give us the best possible chance to achieve that.”

The first leg is scheduled to take place at the Independence Stadium on Friday 6th September at 5pm with the return in Angola on Tuesday 10th September. The winners over the two legs will progress to the group stage where each group winner will advance to the final round of playoffs to seal a place at the FIFA World Cup 2022 to be held in Qatar.

Invitations will be sent out next week before a final 23-man selection will be finalised and announced at a scheduled press conference on Thursday 29th August.

By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma

Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nyelenkeh

Sierra Leone’s Sports Ministry has rejected the appointment of former Ghanaian under 20 head coach Sellas Tetteh as the new coach of Leones Stars following announcement by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) on Tuesday, a press statement from the Sports Ministry  on Wednesday has said.

According to the Ministry in charge of Sport, they received reports from the Director of Sports and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry who were on the interview panel expressing their dissatisfaction on the process which they say did not come to a logical conclusion.

‘’The report of the Ministry’s representatives also observed that representatives from the Sierra Leone Football Association on the interview panel came with a premeditated mind of appointing the said coach. Therefore, the Ministry does not recognise Sellas Tetteh as the Head Coach of the Sierra Leone Team because the process was incomplete,’’ a statement from the Sports Ministry.

Earlier on Tuesday the Sierra Leone FA said in a statement that ‘’After a thorough interview process by the Sierra Leone Football Association Head Coach Recruitment Committee and based on scores earned by the various candidates, the Executive Committee of the Football Association wishes to announce to the general public and the football family the appointment of Mr. Sellas Tetteh Teivi as Head Coach of the National Senior Team (Leone Stars)’’

Disagreement between the Sierra Leone FA and the Sports Ministry is not a  new phenomenon with the small West African country as this has been the case in almost successive administration of the state which has sometimes led the country to receive a ban from FIFA for government interference into the matter of the FA for which it has no jurisdiction.