News Details

Noah Sonko Sundberg: Has Saintfiet found his man?

  • October 15,2020
  • Momodou Bah
  • Swedish born Gambia defender Noah Sonko Sundberg has received a lot praise following his impressive performance for the Scorpions during the last international window

  • The 24-year-old played every minute of the 9th Oct friendly win over Congo Brazzaville in Faro, Portugal.


    He was set to keep his place for Tuesday's match against Guinea only for it to be called off due to positive Covid19 cases in the Syli Nationale squad.


    The Östersunds FK defender started at the right full-back position on his senior international debut ahead of Sulayman Bojang and Dawda Ngum who was deployed in midfield.


    What Saintfiet needed


    "I'm very happy as coach that Noah is part of our team," Scorpions coach Tom Saintfiet told momosports.gm


    "He is a great personality, a young but experience player and he plays in Sweden in a top league on a high level.


    "He immediately acclimatized to the situation, the team and the staff.


    "Very positive, mature player and he's also multifunctional - I can use him as a right wing-back, or left wing-back and I can as well use him as a central defender.


    "He played against Congo Brazzaville as a right wing-back and he performed very well, very solid game, he's good in defending, ball recovery and also has skills with both legs. He is physically strong.


    "As a coach I am very happy that he is part of our team and I think Gambia needed such a player (extra) in this squad.


    The Scorpions struggled for a regular right full-back  since the Belgian took over two years ago.


    Simon Richter, Sulayman Bojang, Dawda Ngum and Njine Faye Njie have all featured in that position but none is yet to make it their own.


    With Sonko Sundberg's performance in Portugal and the post match comments of Coach Saintfiet, it seems the former Swedish youth international has ticked all the boxes for the coach.


    The view from journalists


    "Noah was a revelation of the night and the training camp," said Musa Sise president of the Sports Journalists Association of the Gambia.


    "He's a game reader, very calm and I would like to think that he has a legitimate claim for the right full-back position. 


    "He's experience in top flight Swedish football was on display and even the coach was impressed with his performance," he added.


    Modou Lamin Beyai was the first to report about Noah Sonko Sundberg in the country's sports press and he couldn't hide his excitement after Noah debuted for the Scorpions.


    "Only God knows how proud I am seeing Noah Sonko Sundberg don the Scorpions jersey & switching allegiance to The Gambia?," the journalist-cum-football agent tweeted ?


    "(I've) been following him since when I was (writing) and he (was) playing for AIK Solna, GIF Sundsvall and finally to Östersunds FK - we’ve definitely got a top quality there."


    Representing Gambia


    Noah Sonko says he is elated to switch allegiance to the Gambia senior national team

    Sonko, 24, played 39 times for the Swedish youth teams before switching allegiance to the Gambia.


     “It feels good, it was a good game for us. First game for me and we won, is all perfect.” Sonko told Fallaboweh.gm.


    “Its always good to keep a clean sheet, I was playing with an experienced back-four (Omar, Pa Modou and Bubacarr Sanneh) it was very good.


    “I haven’t been called to the senior national team of Sweden, Tom Saintfiet made a good impression. 


    "I spoke to him before I come and I felt really good, I am happy to be here.


    “Our season in Allsvenskan is going good, we are currently eighth on the log and we have six more games left.”