News Details

CHERNO SAMBA STARTS COACHING SABBATICAL TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAYERS

  • October 05,2020
  • Baboucarr Sey
  • Former England and Gambia international Cherno Samba has announced that he is taking a break from coaching in order to pursue a player representative job with the hope of supporting players to achieve
  • Samba was pursuing his coaching career as a youth team coach with an English premiere league club until recently when he decided to become a football representative to help other young players in football who he does not want to end up with the same bad experience he had as a professional footballer. 

    Things have taken off in a big way for Cherno who has dominated the headlines yet again this week when news broke out that he facilitated the move of Tanzania’s Mabawana Samatta from Aston Villa to Fanerbache. 

    Speaking to this medium about his decision, Cherno Samba said, “yes I can comfirm that I have resign from my coaching post and want to concentrate on helping the next generation of players as their representative.

    “If you read my book or followed my career narration, this is the best transition that I can do because I was been contacted from players, managers, sporting directors, fellow coaches to speak to them and mentor them so that they don’t fall into the same mistake that I did and the pitfalls of the game. 

    "This was no brainer to do the transition smoothly.” In 2018, Samba wrote his life story in a book titled ’Still in The Game’ to help guide the next generation of talents around the pitfalls of the game just as he said. 

    "The book has a strong message for youngsters that by working hard, hopes and dreams can come true.

     “I want to show them my experience – what to do and what not to do. I don’t think there’s any better person to teach the next generation than me. I’ve been in the system and I’ve lived it Samba added.”

    The former three lions and scorpion striker said he will take this opportunity to help players fine-tune their careers particularly the younger ones who according to him needs to be guided to the right path. 

    “I want to help the younger ones to make positive life changes decisions in their careers especially African players who have a higher rate of failure in European football because they find it hard to adapt to football outside of Africa and have little or no support network around them to guide them to fulfill the potential that the European clubs see in them. 

    "I am delighted to help facilitate the moves of two African players (Mbawana Samatta and Djibril Toure) and my intention is to work with many more African players.” Samba added. 

    When squeeze about his born country and if there are projects he have in store for the Gambia, Samba was quick to point out that he has never forgotten home.

     “I have always been helping and will continue to help Gambian footballers. Few months ago I have tried to help Gambian players playing in Europe with better moves and better pay rise but I am disappointed that my own brothers find it either hard to decide or don’t know exactly what’s best for them. 

    "I won’t mention names but as a Gambian, we have to change our attitudes and live like people of the 21st century.

     "I have tried to lure lucrative deals with better career moves to about four Gambian players that are all national team players and the objective was just to help them like I’ve currently done with other African nationals but the experience was just unfortunate”. Cherno added that the contracts he is helping other nationals to sign can be done with his brothers back home in the Gambia but for reasons best known to them, they are not forthcoming neither showing him open arms to work with him and this has put a bad taste in Cherno’s mouth saying, “I don’t understand why my brothers are not welcoming. When people say ex-players should help players back home and the generation playing now, it baffles me because they don’t know the real truth and what’s happening behind the scene because all I want is to help Gambian football but Allah knows best”.     

    "Last year, I brought three players from Samger Football Club to Europe and hopefully we looking forward to take more players because I have top contacts all over the world and have access. 

    "Most of the sporting directors, coaches and managers in top teams are either my team mates, former players or good friends."

    He concluded by stressing that the decision to take a break from coaching and take up player representative is in line with his promise made in the book he publish last year as his main aim and objective is to provide guidance and mentor the young generation that take up football as a career with the sole aim of guiding them in the right path.

    Samba is a UEFA A license holder and still has his eyes set on his home country the Gambia who he say he wants to help qualify to the AFCON but first want to help the younger ones to get to better clubs and shape their football career.