Mustapha Kebbeh and Modou Musa will be vying today for the vacant top job of the Gambia Football Federation. Kebbeh, whose camp comprises ex-members of the dissolved Gambia Football Association (GFA), and rival candidate Modou Musa, a former GFA stalwart, are campaigning to win the support of the 51-voting delegates today at the Paradise Suites Hotel. In the wake of the transition to normalise Gambian football, the election for the GFF presidency is tipped, by pundits, to be a keenly contested showdown between Biko's club President Kebbeh and banker Musa, with both candidates claiming popular support.

Events preceding the election dominated newspaper pages, amid accusations and counter accusations between the Normalisation Committee and other stakeholders in Gambian football and consequently leading to the creation of divisions.

A mammoth task lies in the path of the winner of Wednesday's polls to bury the hatchet and forge ahead to tackle the greater challenges confronting Gambian football. Top on the manifestos of the contending candidates includes, among other projects, uplifting the status of Gambian football from the present doldrums and through effective administration. However, another challenge confronting the winner in the implementation of the plans will be resources as the FA, now Federation, is faced with financial constraints.

The Normalization Committee The election will accord stakeholders a window of opportunity to usher in a new leadership that will succeed the phase of nomalising Gambian football steered by a Normalisation Committee (NC). The NC, headed by O.B. Conateh as chairman, was instituted as a replacement of the Gambia Football Association following its disbandment by the government for being an 'inefficient' setup. Backed by government and FIFA, the NC is expected to be dissolved when its mandate, which was renewed last month by FIFA, elapses today, and it has been empowered as the election overseeing body.

The NC will be assisted by the Independent Election Commission to conduct the election of the new GFF Executive body. Members of the NC have also been ruled out from vying for any GFF portfolio. Congress Fifty-one individuals are enfranchised to cast in the ballot and two proverbial elephants: Modou Musa and Mustapha Kebbeh from today have only hours more from election to woo delegates for votes in a bid to head the GFF for the next four years.

Ahead of congress, Kebbeh and Musa have each named a strong team that will make up the Gambia Football Federation executive. For back ground information, it could be recalled that the aforementioned presidential-hopefuls are the only persons crossing daggers for the coveted vacant top job after a vetting committee's final report had Seedy Kinteh and Halla Samba banned for five-years.

Twist ahead of Congress The build-up to the election has taken a new trajectory in an effort to fulfill a constitutional requirement.

The recently endorsed GFF constitution stipulates the incorporation of a retired veteran referee into the coming executive as obligatory. However, that cap fits Lamin Camara who has, overnight, turned into a much-sought after property. Camara, it is alleged, has been attending the meetings of both parties and the Gambia Referee Association (GRA) head is sandwiched between the two camps with both Musa and Kebbeh including him in their final list of executives unveiled on Monday.

During a briefing convened by Modou Musa on Sunday at the Independence Stadium, Camara, maintained he is independent of either camp, when grilled over his stance, and up to the time of going to press, the GRA president is undecided over who to root for. Interestingly, at the first adoptive congress, sports minister Alieu K Jammeh unambiguously ruled members of the Normalisation Committee from vying for positions in the election -an entity Camara serves as a co-opted member.

List of Congress delegates First Division Clubs Armed Forces FC Musa Jammeh Ebrima Cham Gibba, Bakau United FC Bori Darboe, Brikama United FC Alhagie Darboe Basirou Bajo, Real de Banjul FC William Abraham Bakary Jammeh, Young Africans FC Modou Sowe Ousainou Darboe, Seaview FC Tombong Saidy Saihou Jammeh, Gambia Ports Authority FC Arthur Ashcroft Abdoulie Njie, Steve Biko FC Mustapha Kebbeh, Gamtel FC Kebba Touray Momodou L Jatta, Samger FC- Jane Joof Omar Badjie, Hawks FC-Sang Ndong Sadibu Kamaso, Interior FC-Manlafi Barry Pa Badjie. Second Division Clubs Bombada FC-Buba Janneh, Latrikunda UnitedFC-Shekh Tijan Faye Mustapha Faye, Tallindingding United FC-Alhagie Jandi Alhagie Nyassi, KGI FC-Ebrima Jallow Ousman Drammeh, Serekunda United FC -Joe Sambou Malick Camara, Wallidan FC-Mawya Deen Demba Conateh, Banjul United FC-Ebou Faye Ebou Ndure, Sait Matty FC-AbdoulieBangura Ousman Janneh, Lamin Unted FC-Dodou Bojang Mustapha Manneh, Serekunda United FC-Pa Lamin Sillah Wahab Manneh, Regions KM Regional Football Association-Bakary Dampha Omar Danso Saihou Bah, Banjul RegionalFootball Association-Modou Sowe Oumie Bittaye Baboucar Drammeh, West Coast Regional Football Association-Abdou Karim Sey Bakary Bojang Modou Camara, CRR Regional Football Association-Numukunda Kanyi Pa Boy Trawally Nyima Manneh,NBR Regional Football Association -Ramou Ndow Abu Kahn Ousman Jallow, URRRegional Football Association-MasannehJawara Mohamadou L.Sanneh.

Furu Gomez, LRR Regional Football Association-Wandifa Kinteh Buba Saidy Ansuman Sanneh Schools Football Association-ModouNjie and Martin Gomez. Gambia Football Coaches Association-Mafugie Jatta and Ebrima Manneh. Gambia Football Referees Association-Lamin Camara and Baboucar Jallow. Gambia Women Football Association,Dessamba Mbenga and Momodou Demba.