Jow, thanks for making my day.  Biri is my brother, friend, and squad mate.
He is right, he served our country forever and we are indebted to him.  My
relationship with him was a love/hate one.  I was a kid when I played with
him during my six years with the team before leaving for the States (my self
and Ebou Dubois the youngest for the most part).  He used to wonder why I
got along fine with him when I was not with the late Saul Samba and Pa
Coker, but would turn into a laughing idiot and a complete irritant when I
was with the duo.  He never seized to promise to give me a whipping one of
these days and he renewed that promise when I saw him at the Stadium, back
home, last summer.  He is always a good sport.  I missed them fellas even
though they were a pain to most.  Take it from me, the man had game.  And,
yes, he was a complete player.  He instilled fear in our opponents and any
time we play away from home, the opponent would scout us to try to figure
out if Biri is going to be in our line-up, even though he was in his late
30s.  He was always double or triple teamed and some come all out to injure
him early in the game.  When that happens, Saul Samba would be the first to
attack the culprit and we would laugh about it over "Ataya".  The teams in
zone two definitely knew and respected him and he will always be remembered.
  Which reminds me, I took his picture with Papa Camara of Guinea (who was
with the coaching staff in that encounter against the Scorpions).  I shall
dig it up.  I hope the up coming stars use him as a resource, for he is a
football library with lots of data.  I tip my hat to one of Africa's
favorite sons.

Chi Jaama

Joe sambou


>From: Y C Jow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Alhagi 'Biri Biri' Njie : Soccer Genius And Legend
>Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 11:02:12 EST
>
>Well, Alhagi Njie Biri is still the greatest Gambian footballing export
>ever.
>  On a side note, the Zone II tourney just started and we managed to draw 1
>-
>1 with Les Grandes.
>
>Check this interview out.  it's quite informative.
>
>
>Culled From All Africa.com - Independent
>
>Make no peccadillo about it, Biri has carved a comfortable soccer niche for
>himself, written his name in lights and deservedly stamped his mark into
>the
>annals of history. What more could be said of a man who was Gambia's first
>professional footballer? A man who set alight the Spanish and Danish
>leagues
>with Seville and B1901 respectively, sweeping many honours, rubbed
>shoulders
>with the likes of John Cruyff and Diego Maradona and whose international
>career spanned an unassailable record of twenty four years? Simply put,
>Biri
>is a soccer icon and as he waxes eloquently here in this interview, finding
>a
>mould for him will not be an easy task.
>
>Born Alhagie Modou Njie in the forties, Biri had primary education at
>Albion,
>Stanley and St. Mary's schools before wrapping it up at Crab Island
>Secondary
>School. From there, he worked at the Marine Department before he left to
>concentrate wholly on the round leather profession.
>
>After fantastic spells with five home clubs, he flew to the home of
>football
>(England) for trials with Derby County, but racism proved to be the
>stumbling
>block. However, glory and luck glittered on him in Spain and Denmark where,
>like King Midas, everything he touched just seemed to turn to gold.
>
>But The Gambia was calling, so he returned home and gave the benefit of his
>legendary talents to local football clubs, his own home boys, before
>finally
>ending it all with Wallidan, for whom he played after a well-executed
>international football career. No wonder he still has a fan club in
>Seville.
>
>Today, as Deputy Mayor of Banjul and probably the most capped squad player,
>Biri, in this issue of Portrait, empties his heart on his favourite all
>time
>player, how he got the nickname he still bandies and President Jammeh.
>
>What lured you into football?
>
>Well, it was the game that we played during our childhood days. We played
>on
>the streets and at the football grounds. In a nutshell, that was what lured
>me into football.
>
>You played for Black Diamonds, White Fathoms, Augustinians and Wallidan.
>Can
>you remember how many goals you scored for these clubs?
>
>Hey, brother, that is a difficult question! I can't remember the number of
>goals but I started my career at Black Star, from there I moved to Black
>Diamonds, White Fathoms, Arance, Augustinians and finally Wallidan, where I
>finally hung up my boots.
>
>Were you playing for all these sides while you were in the national team?
>
>Yes. I started playing in the early sixties. In 1963, I was selected to be
>in
>the national team. By that time, I was a sixteen-year-old kid. When the
>Stade
>Demba Diop was being opened in Senegal (in those days, it was called Stade
>Amy Thiaw) I was dropped because I was a kid, even though we played in the
>same league! Still, I stowed away with the team. In Dakar, I managed to
>watch
>the encounters between The Gambia and France, Gabon and Upper Volta
>(present
>day Burkina Faso). In the Gambia - France encounter, we were humbled 5 - 1!
>
>The French were fresh from the 1962 World Cup and the team that defeated us
>had about four players who had been in Chile. The other national teams were
>not keen to take on France but we stood up to them and though we lost
>heavily. In the other matches, the Gambia drew 2 - 2 with both Gabon and
>Burkina Faso.
>
>Gambia lost 6 -1 to Liberia on your debut. Were you overwhelmed with the
>heavy loss during your debut?
>
>Nobody rejoices in defeat. Of course, I was happy to enter the pitch in my
>country's colours but I was sad also because it was my first international
>a
>nd I lost. I don't like to lose in any competition I venture into. To
>triumph
>has always been my goal.
>
>You were capped while you were in school. How were you blending football
>with
>your studies?
>
>As they say, there is a time for everything. In this case, you have to
>combine both together because if you are not fit, you will not be able to
>study properly. If you don't study, surely you will not pass.
>
>Football did not tamper with my schooling as I gave equal time to both.
>
>Your international career spanned a period of twenty-two years. How many
>caps
>and goals did you obtained for the Gambia?
>
>Actually, I cannot remember because, in those days, there were no records.
>However, I played for the national team for twenty-four years (1963 -
>1987)!
>I then retired in the same year when I was in the same side as my son.
>
>How did you go for trials to the English club, Derby County?
>
>I went to Derby County via the late Matarr Sarr, who was the captain of the
>national cricket team. He saw my performances and reckoned I was fit to
>play
>in England. He did all the arrangements and then informed me. When I went
>there, I did not let him down because I did more than expected. However, in
>those days, racism was at its peak in Britain and black people shied away
>from sports. I would have been the first black player to grace the English
>league, had everything went fine. That was in 1970. That was why Derby's
>manager, Bryan Croft, suggested that I returned home and that they will
>send
>for me. I came home until a Danish club, B1901, came for me.
>
>Surely, you must have had a culture shock when you went to far-flung and
>freezing Denmark?
>
>In fact, it was not a culture shock because I had already been in England.
>When B1901 came here and played against Wallidan, I was spotted quickly
>because the supporters here were howling about my skills and prowess. Thus,
>B1901's trainer, Kurt Nielsen, took note of that.
>
>He did not know me personally but when we kicked off he asked if I was the
>much hyped-about Biri Biri? He was told yes and he said: "no wonder with
>the
>talent he possesses, he can be a professional at any time."
>
>We played and lost 5 - 4 and I scored a hat trick. B1901 were to play
>against
>Real de Banjul and I was made to play to see if I could fit in the B1901
>team. They got what they wanted for I tore Real apart, scoring four times.
>Infact, I scored five but the referee, Alhagie Mboob, disallowed a clear
>goal. However, tension began to peak and O.B Conateh, had to come down from
>the pavilion and asked me to come off the pitch. Some people were saying
>that
>I sided with the whites to defeat my own people. However, that was the
>mentality people had in those days, it was nothing serious.
>
>Why did you not play for Anderlect though you went there for trials?
>
>When I went to Anderlect, I would not say I was on trials because they know
>what I can do. However, the tests they put me through were a laugh because
>I
>had mastered that ages ago during my primary school days! It was all about
>crossing the ball and to see how I could score. Later, we did the business
>on
>the pitch and I was closely scrutinized. All the balls from my teammates
>were
>passed to me to see how I could go about things. I must have played a
>blinder
>for I was signed immediately after the match. However, what the contact
>entails and what I was told was different. I disagreed because I was
>already
>a professional. I cannot come from Seville in Spain and be placed in the
>fourth team. That brought misunderstanding between myself and Anderlect and
>I
>went back to Seville, upon their request.
>
>I reckon it was at Seville you met Diego Maradona?
>
>Yes but we didn't meet on the pitch. I had long left Seville, went to B1901
>and came back home with Wallidan. However, certain people complained to OB
>Conateh that I was too old and should retire. Adama Samba, Wallidan's
>manager
>then, threatened to quit if I was made to retire. I chose to retire but I
>was
>still selected for the national team. With Maradona, when he went to
>Seville,
>he saw my name graced the football ground and that was fifteen years after
>I
>had left Seville!
>
>Infact, I have a fan club there. Maradona enquired if I was still alive and
>was told yes. He asked the club to invite me so we could meet me.
>
>A Spanish newspaper, Marca, sponsored the trip. At Seville, Maradona and I
>behaved like long lost friends. We hugged and kissed. I then invited him to
>come here. Everything was smoothly done because one of Seville's directors,
>who cared for me most, was then the club's president. I came and informed
>the
>local media about it.
>
>Unfortunately, I lost my job the following week at the Ministry of Youth
>and
>Sports. I was told there was no need for a sports coach. With the push and
>pull that followed, I was paid my ten years service at the department and I
>left.
>
>You still possess the shirt Maradona gave you?
>
>Yes, I still have it; it is the jersey he played with on that day. I had a
>photo with the line up. Before the match, Maradona was stroking my legs and
>rubbing his legs against mine. I told him in Spanish that he was making a
>joke out of me! The world knows him while I'm only known in Spain. He
>replied
>that he had heard of my feats in Spain and admitted that he could not do it
>at Seville, though he could do it elsewhere. He told me it would be
>difficult
>to forget that I once existed. After the match, he gave me his jersey and I
>did not wash it.
>
>However, my wife suggested that it should be washed. I do wear it at times,
>normally during weekends.
>
>Why did you prefer to see out your career at Wallidan?
>
>Well, it was nothing special. I have played in two decades of club and
>country football and I have never been a reserve. I believe I have done a
>lot
>for Gambian football. There was a time I alighted from a plane only to
>immediately board it again with the squad, who were off to Ghana. An air
>ticket was bought for me on the spot. I could remember going to Accra with
>only the clothes I was standing in! At night, I washed them only to wear
>them
>in the morning. However, that was nothing special or amazing because I was
>doing it for my beloved country, The Gambia.
>
>During the twenty-four years you played for the Scorpions, how many coaches
>molded you and which coach had an inspiration on your career?
>
>Interesting question. Nobody coached me here, even in Europe! There was a
>time I lectured B1901 about the away team visiting us. Boy Corr witnessed
>that. Marley Joiner and Oussou Njie Senor met me in Spain and are enough
>witnesses. If not, people will conclude I'm just boasting.
>
>But, brother, the gift I possess in football, I'm not disputing nobody will
>posses it but it won't come now. This is because I was complete. I could
>run,
>I was powerful, an excellent dribbler, good controller, good header of the
>ball and I could also pass at any given time. God's gift is different from
>what had been instilled in you. Thus, nobody taught me anything new. The
>only
>person I would praise is the one who discovered me at the former McCarthy
>Square, (now July 22nd Square) the late Alhagie Ebou Conteh.
>
>What was the best goal you scored?
>
>I had scored a lot of breath-taking goals. However, I did a Maradona type,
>when I dribbled past seven players against Senegal. That was in 1967 in
>Dakar. I could remember putting the ball between the keeper's legs. After
>the
>match, people were assuming I was a Brazilian! I was guarded throughout my
>stay in Dakar.
>
>Was it during the Zone Two tournament?
>
>No, it was Festival Mondial and we were invited.
>
>How did the nick name 'Biri-Biri' come about?
>
>That came in 1965 during the Festival Mondial. Faye Faal was the
>commentator.
>Gaira Lamin told him 'Biri' and he added another 'Biri' to it. It kicked
>off
>from there and just spread. By the way, Gaira Lamin was my teammate at
>national level.
>
>President Jammeh has appointed you deputy Mayor of Banjul. Wouldn't a
>sport-centred position be more laudable?
>
>Yes, but everything lies in God's hands. President Jammeh brought me back
>to
>the forefront because I had almost been forgotten. When he appointed me, I
>laughed because I was pleasantly taken aback. He told me he meant it and I
>accepted. I'm now interacting with people in a different capacity than
>before. However, I still possess the soccer experience and I can read a
>match
>as before. We must pray to God to further lengthen President Jammeh's stay
>because where he wants to steer the ship of state, it is for the betterment
>of us all. I'm not saying this because I'm with the APRC but because I
>witnessed it. When Saint Clair Joof was politicking, it is still in my
>memory. We both lived on Perseverance Street. Those who were here for
>thirty-two years did practically nothing. Thus, let's pray to God to help
>Jammeh carry the state lead and develop the country.
>
>Would you like to coach the Scorpions?
>
>No, that is not in my plans at the moment but I could advise. I was once a
>coach and Alagie Sillah was my assistant. However, I spent only three
>months
>on the job. Perhaps it was because our differences were enormous. In those
>days, I was the only professional coach and I have done lots of coaching
>courses. The late Ernest Happel, who took Holland to two consecutive World
>Cup Finals, coached me for one year, among others. Miljan Miljani, former
>coach of Real de Madrid, once said only Pele possesses the talent he saw in
>me. That was after Seville and Madrid played a 1 - 1 draw and I scored.
>
>You must have been devastated when Gambia failed to win the Zone Two
>tournament on home soil in 1997?
>
>Yes, I was but it was all down to luck. Perhaps, there was something found
>wanting in the technical department. I'm not trying to criticize the
>technicians at all. The support we had in 1997 was never present in any
>host
>country. I know this because I played in the entire Zone Two tournaments
>before I retired. Definitely, if we had won the Zone Two, it could not have
>been good for us! It was destined to be that way.
>
>What does your job as deputy mayor entail?
>
>It consists of a lot of things. I sometimes represent the mayor at
>conferences. For instance, I have attended two world conferences of Mayors.
>I
>also do certain tasks for the mayor like I sign passports, birth
>certificates
>for confirmation, amongst other things.
>
>Could you chirp on Gambian football in your days and now?
>
>Well, as for now, certain things are included which is a mystery to me.
>However, the reason why our era was better than the present time is the
>will
>to win. We want nothing short of victory to the extent that my opponent is
>my
>enemy! I could remember I had a match against my own brother. Before the
>match, he was being loud about it. He was playing for Benfica then, a
>powerful team. On the pitch, people thought we weren't even brothers! This
>was because it was business on the pitch and he would be my brother
>afterwards. We thrashed them 4 - 1. In those days, I could weep bitterly
>when
>I lose a match so I always make sure it is not repeated. As I said, it is
>going to be difficult to find a player like me because the risks I took, no
>player in this present generation would be ready to do it. I might be at
>par
>with players on skills or something else but I would always outclass them
>in
>other departments. Ebou Sillah is a good player but not powerful enough.
>
>However, he is so humble that when he pulls on the Scorpion's jersey, that
>air of haughty professionalism does not ooze out of him.
>
>Is your love affair with football over?
>
>(Laughs) It still exists because I watch football on TV and I sometimes go
>and watch football at the stadium. However, I just cannot control myself
>out
>there and so I prefer to stay at home! I remember as a Wallidan player, I
>would not join in the celebration of a cup or league victory because the
>mission has not been accomplished. I was the first black player to play in
>a
>Danish cup final and I still possess the winner's medal. That was in 1973.
>I
>have played with Eusibio, Louis Preria, Netsa, Cruyff, etc. In 1973, I was
>the only player with a fan club, Cruff and others! If I could make a name
>among such stars, brothers, I must have known something!
>
>Who was your favourite player and why?
>
>Pele has always been my star. It would be difficult for a player to match
>him. Take it from me; Pele is miles ahead of Maradona, who was another
>complete player. The difference between Pele and I is that he came from a
>country where football is exposed.
>
>If you had taken Gambia to the World Cup, could you have been a match for
>Pele?
>
>Ah that was the determination but it would be difficult to have been
>actualized because there was not enough exposure for us to reach the World
>Cup. We had individual players and a good side but not one to go all the
>way
>to a World Cup final. To qualify is one thing, to go and do well is
>another.
>Look at Zaire at the 1974 world cup. They were utterly humiliated! Yes,
>Pele
>was crowned the world's best player but our intention was to match him and
>we
>could have done so if we had had the means.
>
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