Gambia football News: ‘I Feel That They Betrayed Me‘ Saul Kuyateh

Sulayman Kuyateh said he felt betrayed by Gamtel football club in his second season that is why he left them at the end of his two-year contract.

Saul said the Gamtel FC executive did not stand by their agreement which is to allow him to manage the team freely without interference.

‘I feel that they (Gamtel) betrayed me because when I sign my contract, it was stated that there will be no interference in my job ‘he said.

Kuyateh bemoans there was too much interference from the team’s top executive in his second season and that makes it difficult and frustrating for him. When asked who was interfering with his job and how. Sulayman said: “I think the first problem started after winning the league, the club president identified two players that he said I should go for and I said no, I have enough players and I don’t need those players. I trust my players so let me keep those players. We have experience players and we don’t need inexperience players in the squad because we are heading for the CAF Champions league which he (the president) didn’t like”.

Mr. Kuyateh said, after they won the league everyone thought they can bring players into the club without his consent. “When I was signing my contract, they said in my contact that I have the freedom to sign any player I like. So when I saw the president did such I was not happy about it”.

He (Sulayman) couldn’t hide the disappointment of the club president interfering in his job. “We organized a meeting and the president was seated, I told him in front of everyone that the way things are going I cannot accept that, there is total interference in my job and I will not take that, maybe the backway coaches will accept that” he said.

The two times GFF first division winning coach reveal that the club president felt offended when he failed to take the players he recommended to him. “I think the president felt offended because before, whatever the players need and they go to him he will direct them to me but when this happened, in the second season he started communicating with the players directly, so that’s why I decided to leave after my contract ends because if there is anyone to leave is me because he is the club president’’.

Mr. Kuyateh said despite his turbulent time in his second and final year he was able to secure 5th position for Gamtel.

The former Brikama United and Gamtel tactician (Sulayman Kuyateh) did not take too long to find a new club, as he penned a two-year contract with Samger FC who will be plying their trade in the second division in 2019/20 after getting relegated to the second tier of the GFF domestic league in 2018/19 season.

By Lamin Fadera