The Gambia football authorities are still optimistic that the Under 17 team can qualify for Algeria 2009 African Under 17 Championship finals despite their 3-1 first leg defeat to Ghana Black Starlets last weekend.

The Ghanaians were made to work hard for a comfortable home victory that coach E.K Afranie is now hoping will be enough to see his side through to the next year's finals. The Black Starlets will take the early advantage to Banjul for the return leg in two weeks time thanks to a brace from Moro Ibrahim who twice converted from the penalty spot after the Baby Scorpions had gone into the break level.

The Gambia, who now skate on thin ice, must overturn the 3-1 defeat come November 22, if they are to appear in the finals of a competition they won in 2005 after beating the same Ghana in the final.And according to the president of the Gambia Football Association, this is very much possible.

"We are going to do everything possible to make sure that the team qualify. I know it won't come easy but with God everything is easy," Kinteh who expressed his displeasure with the refereeing of Kumasi fixture told Observer Sports.

The Gambia Under 17 team went to Ghana hoping to avenge for their big brothers' loss to the Ghana Under 20 side in the final qualifiers for the Rwanda 2009 finals.However, the latest installment in what is becoming a strong rivalry between the West Africans in Kumasi was ultimately decided by referee Ibrahim Attiama

of Niger who gave Ghana two second half penalties. On both occasions, it was Gambia defender Lamin Samateh (Bashmen) who was on the end of the calls. They were calls that Ghana badly needed too after the Gambians had held their own remarkably well in the opening half. Ghana took the lead on 11 minutes when Bright Addae headed the opening goal

but that lead lasted just three minutes before Saihou Gassama equalised also with a header for the 2005 African Champions. But six minutes into the second half the referee from Niger pointed to the spot when the ball hit the hand of Samateh as he tried a clearance from a goalmouth melee. Moro stepped to calmly converted for the Starlets.

With ten minutes remaining Samateh brought down Mahatma Otoo to give Moro his second chance from the spot. He made no mistake to give the Starlets a 3-1 lead.