The Gambia Under 17 team have won all their warm-up matches in Egypt as the build-up to the African Under 17 Championship intensifies.

The Baby Scorpions won two friendly matches, after unfavorable weather in the North African country led to the cancellation of their first arranged game. The Gambian team beat a renowned Egyptian club side, Mahaba FC, 5-2 in their first friendly tie before coming out as 1-0 winners against the Egypt Under 20 team on Friday.

The Coach Tarik Siagy tutored side will wrap up their preparatory campaign on Tuesday, with a clash against Arab Contractors United, before flying to Algeria on March 15 via Morocco for the championship proper, which is scheduled to take place from March 19 to April 3, 2009.

The Baby Scorpions, who were the champions in 2005,  have been pooled in Group A  alongside hosts, Algeria, familiar opponents, Guinea, and 2003 winners, Cameroon, for the biennial event, which also features first-timers Niger, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe.

The Gambian team will open their group account with Guinea on March 19, in Zeralda before taking on former champions, Cameroon, on March 22. The Baby Scorpions will wrap up their group campaign against hosts, Algeria, on March 25. The four semi-finalists from the two-week event will automatically qualify for the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be staged in Nigeria later in the same year.