Musanze FC goalkeeper Alagie Modou Jobe is the only player from the Rwanda Primus National League who will be participating in the 34th African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament which will take place in Côte D'Ivoire from January 13 to February 11. Jobe has been capped 27 times by the Scorpions since 2007 and, at club level, he has previously played for clubs including Jeddah SC in Saudi Arabia and Black Leopards in South Africa. Jobe has a task to fulfill at the AFCON 2023 not just as a member of the Gambian national team. His performance can also shape the level of Rwandan topflight league and Musanze FC in particular. The agile goalkeeper exclusively spoke to Times Sport about his aspirations for the AFCON and what it means to be the only Primus National League player who will take part in the competition. What does the AFCON mean to you and the Gambia in the general? As a player, playing AFCON is something that every other African dreams about. This being our second time means a lot to us. Going into a competition that the entire continent will be watching, the atmosphere will be great. For the Gambians, everyone is looking forward to the competition. During our first AFCON appearance, we made history as we got into the quarter finals. It was a big achievement, it is a tough competition with all the big countries; so finishing in the last eight was a great achievement for us. How are preparations being? Our preparation for the tournament has been good, everyone has been perfect. We were camping in Saudi Arabia. We are physically, mentally okay for the competition. We are working hard for the tournament because we know it is going to be difficult. Teams have taken notice of us but nothing is impossible. How does it feel being the only player from the Rwandan League to be at the AFCON? Honestly, being the only player from the Rwandan Primus National League going to the 2023 AFCON, and being the first ever player from Musanze FC going to the competition in particular, is a big thing for me. We work together and I thank my teammates, the top hierarchy of the club, the coaching staff, the fans, the entire district and everybody there at Musanze FC for the support they have given me and I really appreciate it. I am going to the AFCON to represent the Gambia but I am also representing the Rwandan League and my club. It is three in one so I have to go all out for people to see there is quality in Rwandan football. ALSO READ: Gambian goalie Jobe admits Musanze move happened so fast How has the Rwandan League impacted you? It is a great league and, with the influx of more foreign players especially from West Africa, the league is becoming stronger. It won't be long, it will be among the top leagues on the continent. How do you see The Gambia’s group opponents? We are in the group of death as we have defending champions Senegal who are also our neighbors. There is also Guinea who have one of the best strikers in Europe right now in VFB Stuttgart’s Serhou Giurasy who netted 17 goals in 14 games this season. There are also four-time champions Cameroon. We are not going to the AFCON to be pushovers, we are going to give everything we have. The Gambia reached the quarter finals in their maiden appearance in Cameroon, what is the target this year? Our target is to reach the round of 16 and, from there, the rest will continue. In the Group we respect our opponents, there are big players such as Sadio Mane, Vincent Aboubakar among others but we are not scared of them. We will face them because it is football and it is 11 vs 11. We trust ourselves and believe we can rise to the occasion.
