The two Sarahuleh associationscurrently organising separate football tournaments in the Greater Banjul Area Wednesdayclashed over the use of Serekunda West for their respective football games.

Observer Sports reported last week that a breakaway association from the Dynamic Sarahuleh Association for Change and Development (DSADC) is also organising its own tournament . The breakaway faction calls itself Soump-doo-khatti (meaning oneness in Sarahuleh), which is also the main Sarahuleh body in the country.

Speaking to Observer Sports about Wednesday’s incident, Muhammed Papa Touray, chairperson of the organising committee for the DSADC football tournament alleged foul play on the part of some members of the Serekunda West Committee and the breakaway faction.

He said they had an agreement with the Serekunda West committee that they will have the rights to play games at the venue on Mondays and Wednesdays while the other association will have access on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the course of their respective tournaments. He further said he couldn’t understand why the Serekunda West committee should ask Soump-doo-khatti to use the venue for the same day.

In his own words: “I got a call from Joe Colley (Treasurer of Serekunda West) on late Tuesday evening that our game for the following day has been pushed forward only for them to allow the other association to play that day. But I thanked Sang Ndong as the president for stepping in to settle the dispute between the two Sarahulehs.”

When contacted to shed light on the issue, Musa Fatty, the secretary general of Soump-doo-khatti did confirm the dates that the two associations should use the venue for their games but added that they were given access by the Serekunda West committee to use the venue.

Fatty, who also served as the Treasurer of the DSASC before they parted ways last year denied claims that he has been sacked. DSASC claimed Fatty did some “unacceptable” things when he was with them, that led to their decision to sack him. But the latter argued that he stepped down honorably when he spotted irregularities within the association.

When contacted by Observer Sports for their own version of the story, Joe Colley, the treasurer, declined to comment on the matter for now. He said the matter is already at an executive level and expressed hope that the problem will be settled amicably.