Africa's Dream Factory

On this day in mid-May, Els De Smet need only look out from her office balcony to see that something has truly taken root in The Gambia. People are packed into the two stands surrounding the large artificial turf field. Even behind the freshly painted white wall facing the street, dozens of neighbors are standing, craning their necks. Everyone wants to be there when the “Gambinos Stars Africa” play football. It wasn’t always like this. It took several years for the youth academy in Mandinari to truly take root. For the people here to realize that the Gambinos are serious. That they really want to make a difference here. “I’m very satisfied with everything that’s happening here right now,” says Els De Smet, CEO of the academy.

It’s the final day of the U16 Gambinos Cup. Over the course of four days, the region’s eight best U16 teams have gathered on the academy’s grounds. The Gambinos topped their group with three wins in three games, won their semifinal convincingly (5–2), and are now in the final against LYDSA, the youth team of the capital city club Real de Banjul. Before the game, it becomes official. Hands are shaken, and the national anthem is played. “Madame Els” – as Els De Smet is called by the stadium announcer and everyone here – takes the symbolic kickoff. She doesn’t really like all this attention. She’d rather have her “boys” in the spotlight. Because that’s what it’s all about: boys from The Gambia who are given the chance at a better life through football.

A Pool of Talent

Anyone who wants to visit the Gambinos drives about three-quarters of an hour south from Banjul. Gambia nestles along both banks of the river of the same name. It is the smallest country in Africa, barely larger than Lower Bavaria. It is bordered on three sides by Senegal, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Gambia River’s tributaries reach right up to the Gambinos grounds; not far away, it flows into the sea. At high tide, the water laps against a wall; at low tide, you can see children running barefoot through the mud. Poverty is everywhere. Many houses look like ruins, and trash litters the dusty ground beside the road. How did anyone come up with the idea of building a football academy here of all places?

For Els De Smet, it’s the perfect location. Like all of West Africa, she says, the country is crazy about football. Over 40 percent of the population is under 15 years old; there are more young players here than in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Nuremberg combined. And the football talent, she says, is on par with that of neighboring Senegal, which has already produced many good players. “What also makes The Gambia interesting is the country’s simplicity, stability, and peacefulness,” says the 52-year-old. “The Gambia is a country full of possibilities.”

When talking about the early days of the Gambinos, the conversation inevitably turns to Helmut Hack. The former president of SpVgg Greuther Fürth is the driving force behind the academy. His photo hangs on a wall in the main building. He teamed up with Albert Martens, a scout for RSC Anderlecht, to find talent in The Gambia. Els De Smet was married to Martens at the time – and accompanied him. Seven years later, she’s still there – despite the many challenges that life here brings. “Gambia is called the ‘smiling coast of Africa’ – that describes the people here very well,” she says. “I’ve fallen in love with the country and its people – and, of course, with the boys at the academy. They’ve become an important part of my life. It’s so fulfilling.”

Hack and Martens’ original idea quickly proved to be too narrow in scope. It wasn’t enough just to find talent; they also had to train it to European standards. This led to the creation of the Gambinos Academy, which became a partner of Red&Gold Football in 2023. In March 2026, R&G became the majority shareholder of the Gambinos Group, which also includes two affiliates in Senegal and Cameroon. “At first, I was skeptical and wondered what this large organization had in mind for our small academy,” says Els De Smet, “but I quickly realized: ‘Red&Gold’ makes us better.” The Gambinos benefit from ideas, knowledge, and resources – while “Red&Gold” has expanded its network to include an established foothold in West Africa.

A Proud Extended Family

Dawda Saine is 16 and has been a Gambino for four years. It’s a good half-hour drive by car from the academy to his home village of Tawuto. The family is gathered in the courtyard under two mango trees. Father Hayib, mother Yassin, his father’s second wife, a grandmother, a brother, uncles, and aunts—20 people in all, plus sheep and chickens running around the yard. They cook over an open fire. As a welcome, they serve ataya, Gambian green tea, boiled three times. And you absolutely must try the brew made from kinkéliba leaves (“good for digestion”), says Dawda’s father, Hayib. And, of course, the leaves (“good for the blood”) and the seeds of the horseradish tree, which are said to have antibacterial properties. Hayib is proud of his country’s culture – and especially of what Dawda has already accomplished. “It almost brings tears to my eyes,” he says, recounting how, even as a little boy, his son could always be found wherever there was a ball. “Football is his life.”

Dawda was born and raised here. His room was a square shack with a corrugated metal roof. He played football with his brothers in the yard and on a sand field with the boys from the village. “At some point, that field was gone,” Dawda says, “so I walked 30 or 35 minutes to the next field so I could play. When I came home late at night, my mom would always just say, ‘None of this is getting you anywhere. You’d be better off focusing on school.’ But I always held on to my dreams.” Dawda could only dream of football cleats, too. There wasn’t much money – it was barely enough for the family to get by. So, he usually played barefoot. Still, he was the best on the field. “The others always called me Messi,” he says.

When Dawda was twelve, one of his brothers told him about a tryout with the Gambinos. “I didn’t know who the Gambinos were or what a tryout was,” he recalls. Dawda borrowed football cleats from a friend, tried out, and impressed them. That’s how Dawda became a Gambino. He started on the U14 team. His father accompanied him to the academy on his first day. “When he saw the grounds, he said, ‘This is a good place. Your dream might come true here. And if you make something of yourself, maybe you can take care of us.’ Those words have stuck with me. Whenever I play, I think of my family,” Dawda says.

Anyone who gets to know Dawda understands that football in The Gambia is more than just a game. “In such a poor country, football is probably the easiest way to succeed in life,” says Arnaud Outters. The 27-year-old is the Gambinos’ sporting director and coaches the U19 team. He’s wearing a gray shirt that reads: “Football For A Better Future.” “It’s incredible,” he continues, “a single player who makes it to Europe can positively change the lives of 60 or 70 people back home. And ‘Red&Gold’ opens the door to Europe and America.”

Allianz Arena seats in the stands

Outters followed his mother, Els De Smet, to The Gambia along with his brother Gauthier. Together, they built the academy, rolling up their sleeves to pour concrete, lay pipes, chase away snakes, and wade knee-deep in mud during the rainy season. “For us, the academy is like our child,” he says. The infrastructure is constantly growing. In addition to the main building – which houses offices, common rooms, locker rooms, and the U19 players’ dorms – there is now a separate house for the younger age groups. Discarded seats from the Allianz Arena were installed in one of the stands. Outters is particularly proud of the new natural grass field. It took years to successfully grow grass there, because the salty river water makes the soil salty as well. But natural grass is important for preparing the young players for football in Europe. Otherwise, they’re only used to artificial turf or sand.

About 60 players train, play, and live with the Gambinos. Ideally, they start in the U12 team. “That way, we have enough time to help them catch up on what they’ve missed and then help them develop further,” says Outters. Training takes place on several levels. First, of course, there’s football – a modern, attacking style: short passes, lots of one-on-one battles, and pressure on the opponent. “Similar to Bayern under Vincent Kompany,” says Outters. Then there’s their academic education – if only to give the players a foundation for the future in case a football career doesn’t work out. And then there are topics like personality and mindset, which are also highly valued: humility, discipline, punctuality, table manners, shaking hands, looking people in the eye, talking about feelings, and much more. “We try to teach all the things that are important for life in Europe or America,” explains Outters.

A Lot of Catching Up to Do and Bara’s Example

This holistic approach is part of the academy’s identity, says Els De Smet: “We realized early on that otherwise our boys wouldn’t be prepared enough to go to Europe or America.” Because West Africa simply operates on a completely different level. People live in extended families where you’re hardly ever alone. “The boys aren’t used to having a room of their own or sitting down with a book in a quiet environment and reading it without being interrupted. We work on these kinds of issues, too.”

“Madame Els’s” office is on the upper floor of the main building, where it actually always smells like food. That’s because the open kitchen and the large dining area are also located here. Nutrition is a major focus for Gambinos. There, too, there’s a lot of catching up to do. When a player joins the academy at age eleven or twelve, his physical development is comparable to that of a seven-year-old in Germany, says Els De Smet: “It starts as early as in the womb, because the mother often didn’t have enough to eat during pregnancy.” That’s why the Gambinos are given daily shakes containing carbohydrates and proteins to promote physical development. “Some of them double in size during their time with us.”

The example of Bara Sapoko Ndiaye has recently shown just how fruitful this work is. In January, FC Bayern loaned out the 18-year-old Senegalese player; in April, he made his Bundesliga debut; in June, he traveled to the World Cup; and in August, FC Bayern signed him permanently. “When he played for the first time, I could hardly believe it,” says Els De Smet. “I just thought: Wow! Our boy! Is this really happening right now?” For the young Gambinos, Bara is now, of course, the big role model, she reports: “Seeing what he’s achieved, and how he did it – through diligence and hard work – is a huge source of motivation for everyone.”

The same goes for Dawda. The large crowd at the U16 Cup final saw him as a fast, attacking left back. In the second half, he drew the free kick that led to his team’s 2-1 winning goal. In the end, he was named the tournament’s best player. Dawda beamed: “My mom is here today and watched the game. I’m totally happy.” What’s next for him? “My big dream is to play at the Allianz Arena someday,” says Dawda. What he doesn’t know yet: Three months later, starting in August, he’ll train with FC Bayern’s U17 team for several weeks. And suddenly, the Allianz Arena isn’t so far away from Gambia after all.

About Gambinos Group

The Gambinos Group is an association of three academies: Gambinos Stars Africa (Gambia), Senegal Elite Stars (Senegal), and the Phoenix Sports Association (Cameroon). The academies were founded by Helmut Hack, former president of SpVgg Greuther Fürth, second vice president of the German Football League (DFL), and former board member of the German Football Association (DFB).

The Gambinos Group aims to become a center of excellence for West African talent through its locations in Gambia, Senegal, and Cameroon.

Gambinos Stars Africa, Senegal Elite Stars, and the Phoenix Sports Association became official cooperation partners of Red&Gold Football in July 2023. In March 2026, Red&Gold Football became the majority shareholder of the Gambinos Group.