Bakau Zone have been handed a one-year suspension, while Serrekunda East Zone were declared winners of the 2009 Muhammed Yahya Jammeh Zonal Cup Championship after a marathon investigation into the violence that marred the 2009 final between the two sides found Bakau wanting, Observer Sports can reveal.

The December 2009 final at the Serrekunda West mini-stadium, which had promised so much, was brought to a premature end amid chaotic scenes in the second half with Serrekunda East leading 1-0. The impasse forced the organisers,  Gambia Football Association, to launch an investigation, leading to the formation of a special task force committee to investigate the overall organisation of the final, as well as conduct a postmortem on the behaviors of officials and supporters of both teams before making a recommendation to the GFA Executive Committee on appropriate measures needed to be taken. And after almost three months of anxious wait, the two teams and their faithful have finally learned their fate as GFA Executive Committee announced its decision that also confirmed the dissolution of organising committee of the annual event with immediate effect.

In a one-page press release issued on Wednesday, February 10, the Gambia Football Association said after a meticulous probe in the overall organisation of the final match, it has found to a large extend that some players, officials and supporters of Bakau Zone were responsible for creating the impasse that brought the final match and subsequently the whole tournament into disrepute. As such, the national football?s governing body has handed Bakau a one-year ban from all GFA zonal competitions, before awarding Serrekunda East Zone the trophy and cash prize of D50, 000 as winners.

Three Bakau players in Assan Jatta, Demba Sanyang and Lamin Jallow were also fined D2,000 (two thousand dalasis) each for their involvement in the fracas, while Serrekunda East?s diminutive striker, Buba Jallow, who stirred up the trouble on the pitch, escaped with a D5,000 (five thousand dalasis) fine.

The full text of GFA?s press release reads:
"After a meticulous probe in the overall organization of the final match of the Muhammed Yahya Jammeh Perpetual Cup 2009 tournament as well as the post mortem on the behaviour of the team officials, players and supporters, the Executive Committee of the Gambia Football Association has found to a large extend that some players, officials and supporters of Bakau Zone were responsible for creating the impasse that brought the final match and subsequently the whole tournament into disrepute.

As such, the Executive Committee has decided to impose the under-mentioned disciplinary measures to engender sanity in our sports.

1. The organizing committee for the Muhammed Yahya Jammeh Perpetual Cup has been dissolved with immediate effect.
2. The Bakau Zone is suspended from all GFA zonal competitions for one year
3. All registered players for the Bakau Zone shall not be allowed to participate for any other zone for the entire duration of the aforementioned suspension.

4. the following players are fined thus; Buba Jallow (meless) D5, 000, Assan Jatta D2,000, Demba Sanyang D2,000, Lamin Jallow D2,000.
Furthermore, the Executive Committee has declared Serrekunda East Zone as the winners of the second edition of Muhammed Yahya Jammeh Perpetual Cup championship 2009. As a result, Serrekunda East Zone will receive the trophy and cash prize of D50,000.

5. The runner-up position has been nullified and the cash prize will be added to the monies to be distributed to all other participating zones as consolation prices."