Having watched his side booked a place in the 8th edition of the African. Under Under 17 finals to be hosted in Algeria next year, the elated head coach the Gambia Under 17 team, Tarik Siagy, thanked the Gambians for their support during the qualifying stages.

"First I will thank the Almighty and every Gambian that contributed to the success of the team," Tarik told Observer Sports yesterday. "I know it was not going to be an easy road for us but thank God we have finally crossed the hurdle," Tarik Siagy  has less than four months to prepare his side for the Algeria finals that double as qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be staged in Nigeria, and the Egyptian revealed they will embark on preparation as soon as possible.

"We are going to start preparing for the championship. I want to bring in some new faces to blend them with the present squad after which the best players will be selected," he said.