HOPES AND DREAMS IN FOOTBALL

I WAS FULL OF HOPE EVEN THOUGH I KNOW DEEP IN MY MIND, TIME WAS RUNNING OUT FOR THE BABY SCORPIONS WHILE THEY FOUGHT SPIRITEDLY TO GET BACK ON LEVEL TERMS WITH THE FIREBRAND IRANIAN YOUTH FOOTBALLERS.

THE DAY TURNED OUT TO A SAD DAY FOR A NUMBER OF GAMBIANS IN BANJUL. CRIES OF 'BOY, BOYEE, BOYEE' GROW EVEN LOUDER IN OUR MINDS AS ANOTHER DAY PASSED.

As I leave home this morning looking for a car to come to work, the radio stations were broadcasting it - the high expectations of the craziness that we call our love for football is a serious malady. On West Coast Radio, series of callers predicted that the baby scorpions will beat Holland this afternoon when the two sides meet for the first time in their second games in the Under 17 FIFA World Cup.

It is a game that is crucial as well for the Netherlands simply because their coach told some Nigerian journalists recently that his team is NOT in Nigeria for a holiday, he said his mind is on the trophy.

Loosing today's match would send the oranje boys crashing out of the Championship, thus ending any dreams nurtured by the coach. On the otherhand, Gambians may not take it if the baby scorpion loose this afternoon's match for the second time. As African Champions, the boys need to go all the way to defend the trophy triumphantly by all means necessary. The Baby Scorpions should also reflect on the team that beat Brazil and Qatar in 2005 in Peru.

Unfortunately it was the oranje boys that sent them packing,so today's match is expected to be another one with high optimism. Revenge or Fear?

We will know.