Football: Gambia reappoints ex-coach for World Cup qualifier

The Gambia have reinstated head coach Peter Bonu Johnson ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast in Banjul on Saturday, the country’s football authorities said today.

Bonu Johnson will replace Luciano Mancini, with the Italian demoted to become his technical assistant, according to the Gambian Football Federation.

The move marks something of a u-turn for the west African minnows as Bonu Johnson has previously served as head coach before he was redeployed as Mancini’s assistant when the Italian was appointed last year.

“Bonu Johnson will take charge of the team while Lucio Mancini serves as technical director until further notice,” the federation said in a statement, without giving any reason for the change.

The Scorpions have never graced the World Cup finals and look set to miss out on Brazil 2014 with the team propping up Group C after managing just a single draw against Morocco and registering defeats to Tanzania and Ivory Coast.

Bonu Johnson has ackowledged his team will be underdogs on Saturday but vowed at a media conference late on Thursday that the Scorpions would give “a respectable performance”.