Ebrima Colley scored twice as Gambia came from 2-0 down to beat Ghana 4-2 in Accra, taking his tally to three goals in 100 minutes during the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign.
The Black Stars led after 33 minutes on Tuesday, 29 September, through an Ernest Nuamah penalty and a Felix Afena-Gyan free-kick. Muhammed Badamosi pulled one back from the spot before Omar Colley, Ebrima’s namesake, levelled for the Scorpions before half-time.
Gambia manager Johnathan McKinstry introduced Ebrima Colley with more than 30 minutes remaining. The winger put his side ahead in the 68th minute after Ghana captain Gideon Mensah failed to clear, according to Ghanaian public broadcaster GBC.
Colley then sealed the victory in the first minute of added time, meeting a pass from Sainey Sanyang to make it 4-2.
Four days earlier, on 25 September, the 26-year-old had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in a 2-1 win over Somalia. He started that match, played until the 69th minute and helped Gambia return to Bakau’s Independence Stadium for the first time since 2021.
All three of his shots on target across the two matches resulted in goals. The sample is small, with one effort coming from a penalty and another following a defensive error, but the change is striking: in more than seven years of international football, he had scored only twice for Gambia before September.
After two rounds, Colley shared top spot in the qualifying scorers’ list with Zimbabwe’s Marshall Munetsi. Gambia are second in Group C on six points, level with leaders Cote d’Ivoire but behind on goal difference. Ghana and Somalia have no points.
The top two teams in Group C will qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The host nations are automatically qualified, leaving one place available in each of their three qualifying groups.
From Tallinding to Europe
Born in Serekunda on 1 February 2000, Colley grew up in Tallinding, around 20 minutes from Banjul. His elder brother Ansu was also a footballer. “My father wanted me to study, but now he is happy too,” Colley said in 2018.
He joined Atalanta’s Under-19 side during the 2017-18 season and made his Gambia debut in March 2019. Three months later, he came off the bench to score the winning goal for Atalanta against Inter in the Primavera championship final at Parma’s Tardini stadium.
That decisive substitute appearance helped end a 21-year wait for the title. Colley later played five Serie A matches for Atalanta in 2019-20.
After loan spells with Hellas Verona, Spezia, Fatih Karagumruk and Young Boys, he became the first Gambian to score in the Champions League, against RB Leipzig on 13 December 2023, according to UEFA. He won the Swiss title with Young Boys before joining them permanently in June 2024 on a contract until 2028.
He made 17 league appearances and scored twice in 2025-26, totalling 436 minutes. On 15 July 2026, he joined Konyaspor on loan for the season and has scored once in five Super Lig matches, playing 211 minutes.
McKinstry, appointed in May 2024, previously worked in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. After missing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Gambia recorded their biggest official win, 7-0 against Seychelles, in October 2025.
“Beyond tactics, I understood the culture,” McKinstry said after the Ghana match. “When we came back to 2-2, I knew how the Black Stars could react, that the match would become less controlled and that we would have our chances.”
Gambia face Cote d’Ivoire home and away between 9 and 17 November.
