2 Revs Called Up to Gambian National Team

Nyassi, Mansally on Squad for Friendly in Paris Against Gabon

February 7, 2009 - New England Revolution teammates Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi have been called up to the Gambia national team for a friendly match against Gabon on Wednesday.

Sainey Nyassi will join Revolution teammate Kenny Mansally on the Gambian national team in Paris next week. (Photo by Joyce Furia)

The pair will join the national team in Paris, where the match between the two African countries will take place.

Mansally, 20, has made three appearances for Gambia’s senior national team since being called up for the first time last June. All three of Mansally’s previous appearances were in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, although Gambia – nicknamed the Scorpions – failed to advance to the final round of qualifying.

In his most recent appearance for the senior team, Mansally earned his first international assist, setting up the game-tying goal in the 87th minute of a 1-1 draw with Senegal on Oct. 11.

Mansally, who has been used as a forward with the Revs but also plays as a midfielder with the national team, scored three goals and added one assist in 17 regular season appearances with the Revolution in 2008, his first full season with the club.

Nyassi, a 20-year-old midfielder, earned his first call-up to Gambia’s senior national team for the Oct. 11 Gabon match, but did not play. In 25 regular season appearances with the Revolution last season, Nyassi recorded two goals and one assist.

Both players were regulars on Gambia’s Under-20 national team in recent years, each playing all four of the country’s games at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. In that competition, Mansally scored the game-winning goal against world power Portugal, sending the Scorpions through to the knockout rounds.

The Revolution begin the 2009 season at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, when the team travels to face the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.