Real de Banjul
Real de Banjul Logo
Full nameReal de Banjul Football Club
Nickname(s)City Boys
Founded1966 (1966)
GroundBanjul Mini Stadium[1]
Capacity3,000
ChairmanMomodou Bah
ManagerVjatšeslav Zahovaiko
LeagueGFA League First Division
2022–23GFA League First Division, 2nd
WebsiteClub website

Real de Banjul Football Club is a Gambian professional association football club based in Banjul. The team compete in the GFA League First Division, the top flight of Gambian football league system. Real de Banjul is the most successful club in Gambian football history, having won a record 12 national titles

History

Real de Banjul was founded in the 1966–67 season after a group of secondary schoolboys international team returned from a trip to Thiès in Senegal and named it as Benson and Hedges FC. The name was eventually changed by the then Director of Youth and Sports to Real de Bathurst FC and upon its registration with the Gambia Football Federation, it headquartered at 81 Lancaster Street, Banjul. The team witnessed another name change in 1970 changing to its present name of Real de Banjul which led to the expansion of the team having basketball, volleyball and athletics teams.[2] The team then consisted of the youngest talented players in comparison to other local teams and won its first league title in 1971–72.

The first two cup titles were won in 1969 and 1970. Real de Banjul's cup final results in 1970 defeated White Phantoms 2–1, the club lost to Gambia Ports Authority in 1975 and later in 1980. Real lost to win their third title in 1993 after losing to Wallidan 2–1, they got their recent cup title in 1997 after defeating Hawks. The club lost to again to Wallidan in 2002 in their recent cup final appearance.[2]

As champion winner, the club competed in the 2012 Gambian Super Cup and won their only title.[3]

Their first continental appearance was in 1975 after winning their second title and withdrew from a match with Guinea's Hafia FC. Their first match was played a year later against Mali's Djoliba AC. After winning their fourth title, the club advanced in the second round and challenged Liberia's Saint Joseph Warriors where they scored their first goal and won their first match at the continentals for Real, later the club lost two legs to Ghana's Hearts of Oak. Real Banjul competed against the club from Guinea-Bissau further south Sporting Bissau and lost the second leg. The club competed in 1995 and defeated Cape Verde's CD Travadores, then the club faced Mbilnga from Gabon and the second match was abandoned at the 70th minute. Four years later in 1999, the club faced another Guinea's club AS Kaloum Star, the first leg won 0–2 while the second lost 4–1, in 2001, the club faced FC Derby from Mindelo, Cape Verde and defeated 1–0 in the second leg, then faced ASC Diaraf from Dakar in the neighboring Senegal up northwest and scored only a goal in the first match, as they scored nothing in the second match, they lost. As the 2007 national champion,[4] Real Banjul withdrew in early December[5] and did not participate in the 2008 CAF Champions League.[6] Their next appearance was twelve years later in the 2013 season, the club challenged with FUS Rabat and won 2–1 and was out as the away team succeeded. Their recent appearance was the 2015 season and succeeded up to the first round.[2]

Uniform

Home uniform up to 2014

Its uniform color is red with a white right sash, sleeve and short edges for home games and the opposite being white with a red right sash, sleeve and short edges.

Its uniform color for home games was white with blue lining near its edges.

Achievements

1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1983, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2023
1969, 1970, 1997.
  • Gambian Super Cup: 3
2000, 2012, 2014.

League and cup history

Performance in CAF competitions

Real Banjul's results in CAF competition
Season Competition Qualification method Round Opposition Home Away Aggregate
1975 African Cup of Champions Clubs Gambian champions First round Guinea Hafia FC canc. canc. none[lower-alpha 1]
1976 African Cup of Champions Clubs Gambian champions First round Mali Djoliba AC 0–2 2–0 0–4
1979 African Cup of Champions Clubs Gambian champions Preliminary Round Liberia Saint Joseph Warriors 1–0 0–0 1–0
First round Ghana Hearts of Oak 1–1 2–0 1–3
1984 African Cup of Champions Clubs Gambian champions First round Guinea-Bissau SC Bissau 0–0 2–0 0–2
1995 African Cup of Champions Clubs Gambian champions First round Cape Verde CD Travadores 1–0 0–0 1–0
Second round Gabon Mbilinga FC 0–2 4–0[lower-alpha 2] 0–6
1999 African Cup of Champions Clubs Gambia champions First round Guinea AS Kaloum Star 0–2 4–1 3–4
2000 CAF Cup First round Senegal CSS Richard-Toll 0–1 1–0 0–2
2001 CAF Champions League Gambian champions Preliminary Round Cape Verde FC Derby 0–0 1–0 1–0
First round Senegal ASC Diaraf 1–1 1–0 1–2
2013 CAF Champions League Gambian champions Preliminary Round Morocco FUS Rabat 2–1 1–0 1–3
2015 CAF Champions League Gambian champions First round

National level

Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA GD P Cup Notes
2003–04 1 6 18675 1614+225
2005 1 6 18657 1318-523
2006 1 8 15474 97+219
2007 1 1 181053 156+935
2008 1 4 226133 149+531
2009 1 8 22787 1720-329

Statistics

  • Best position: Second Round (continental)
  • Best position at a cup competition: First Round (continental)
  • Total matches played at the CAF Champions League: 22
    • Total matches played at home: 11
    • Total matches played away: 11
  • Total matches played at the continental cup competitions: 2

Managers

NameNationalityFromTo
Bai Malleh Wadda[7] Gambia19961998
Musa Njie Gambia20132014
Vasile Dobrău Romania20092010
Alhaji Amat Cham Gambia20132013
Alagie Sarr Gambia20132013
Franky van de Velde Belgium20132014
Mattar M'Boge Gambia
 England		20142015
Franky van de Velde Belgium20152016
Majorr Saine Gambia20162017
Musa Njie Gambia20172019
Ebou Jarra Gambia20192021

Notes

  1. ↑ Hafia withdrew
  2. ↑ Second match abandoned in the 70th minute

References

  1. ↑ "Banjul Mini-Stadium (KG5) - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "CLUB HISTORY". Real de Banjul. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Super Cup final slated for Sunday December 23rd - The Point". thepoint.gm. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Mouloudia Alger and Real Banjul Qualify for Africa". Soccerway. 19 October 2007.
  5. ↑ "Real Withdrew from CAF Champ League". The Daily Observer. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "Real de Banjul Will Not Participate in the CAF Champions League". wow.gm. 12 December 2007. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Real de Banjul, 50 of the Perspective of an ex-Player Coach". Observer Gambia. Archived from the original on 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2016-11-07.

Further reading

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