Following the conclusion of yesterday’s game against Mansfield, defender Ibby Touray will now join up with the Gambian national team as they prepare for their African Cup of Nations campaign in the Ivory Coast.
Ibby, a summer signing from Salford City, is set to make Stockport County history if he features in the competition, becoming the first County player ever to represent his national team at a major international tournament.
Ibby was part of the Gambia side that reached AFCON for the first time ever in 2024, and this time around the Scorpions have been placed in the same group as Senegal, Cameroon and Guinea. Their opening game sees them up against a Senegal side containing former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, with that game kicking off at 2pm BST on Monday 15th January.
We would like to thank the Gambian FA for their consideration in agreeing to delay Ibby’s call-up until after our game against Mansfield Town. We wish both them and Ibby all the best in the tournament, and will be watching on from home with pride.
Director of Football, Simon Wilson said:
‘It’s an honour for the club to have one of its players participating in a major tournament like this and we will be watching on with keen interest.
“I’d like to place on record our collective thanks to Ousmane Drammeh and Tom Samdifet of the Gambian FA for allowing Ibby to stay with us for the maximum time prior to the tournament, at the potential disadvantage to their own preparation. This open minded approach is not taken for granted and hopefully allows for future collaborations where both club and federation can equally benefit.”
