The Gambia national football team formed in 1952. The team joined the Confederation of African Football and FIFA in 1966. Formerly known as British Gambia, the team has never appeared at a world cup or Cup of Nations finals.
Gambia played its first game in 1962, several years after the football association had formed. The team beat Senegal 3-2 at home. The year after Gambia played in the L’Amitie tournament but did not get past the first round. It was another five years before Gambia played again, only to lose 2-1 to Sierra Leone.
The team has entered qualifying for major international tournaments but never found success. In their first African Games qualifier Gambia lost 8-0 to Guinea. 1975 saw the team enter qualifying for the Cup of Nations for the first time. Over the course of a two-legged tie, Gambia lost 6-0 to Morocco.
The world cup as been similarly hard for Gambia. The team entered qualifying in 1982 and 1986 without success and did not return until 1998. Since the latter tournament, Gambia has entered every qualifying campaign.
Ranked 148th by FIFA, Gambia is in no danger of climbing the world football rankings any time soon.
World cup 2018
Fixtures to be announced.
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