Gambia’s national women’s football team’s goalkeeper Fatim Jawara has drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe.
The 19-year-old was on board a boat that ran into trouble last month while crossing from Libya to Europe, the country’s football federation says.
Her family confirmed the sad news according to association president Lamin Kaba Bajo.
Jawara made her debut with the national women’s side a year ago, after playing in the junior team.
“She will be remembered for saving a penalty kick in a friendly encounter involving the national soccer team and the Glasgow Girls from Scotland,” Mr Bajo told the AFP news agency.
The federation described her death as “shocking” in a Facebook post.
The coach of the Red Scorpions, a local team she played in, described Fatim as a very lovely person who always smiled.
“Fati was a player who can play anywhere on the field. I’m really sad about this because she fought so much to be number one,” Ms Mbega said.
She said she was not aware of Jawara being frustrated but added that Red Scorpion players were not paid salaries.
Fatim Jawara’s absence was nationally noticed when The Gambia national female team was schedule to play Senegalese club Casa Sports during celebrations to mark a girls football festival recently. Her death in the Mediterranean has shocked Gambians and brings back the issue of illegal migration facing the country into a sharper focus.
Rumours started flying that Fatim had gone on the “Back Way”, the now famous name for the boat journey across the Mediterranean to Italy, according to Red Scorpions captain Fatu Fatty.
“A few days later we confirmed from her family that an agent had contacted them to say Fatim was among those on the boat that capsized,” Ms Fatty explained in tears.
“She was everyone’s friend in the team. Jovial and funny to an extreme,” Ms Fatty said.
A Gambia Football Federation official noted she was not the first footballer to have suffered such a fate but she was one of the most high-profile to have died this way.
