The Chairman of the Gambian for Gold Committee, Tombong Saidy, last week confirmed that a deal worth D4 Million per year for the sponsorship of Gambia Football Association (GFA) domestic league has been reached.

Writing on the Sports Journalist Association of the Gambia's facebook page, Saidy said telecommunication giants Gamtel/Gamcel have brokered a deal worth the aforementioned amount with the country's football governing body moments before the commencement of the league championship.

He said "from now on, the domestic club competition will be called The Gamtel/Gamcel League.It will be the first time in the history of Gambian football that all stakeholders will benefit from the sponsorship money, the playing grounds (Banjul Mini-Stadium (KG5), Brikama Box Bar Mini-Stadium and the Serekunda East Mini-Stadium and the Independence Stadium), the teams, regional league, GRTS etc".

The two parties were expected to sign the agreement a couple of weeks ago but that ceremony was called off at the eleventh hour for what the FA's media officer,Bakary Buram Baldeh, called the telecommunication giants unavailability.Observer Sports learnt that the parties will eventually finalise the modalities before the end of the week.

But it is highly unlikely that the official signing will take place within a fortnight with the vice chairman of the Normalisation Committee who also doubles as its spokesman, Alhaji Omar Sey currently out of town to attend the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa which will run until the 10th of February. Sey will sign any such agreement on behalf of the FA with his Chairman Alhaji Fisco Conateh currently unavailable.

The league has started already with a full round of action completed over the weekend for the second week running. But despite the delay, all parties can continue to rejoice that for the first time ever in the annals of the history of Gambian football, a much needed 'lucrative' sponsorship has been agreed albeit with the official confirmation yet to take place.