Bolivia-Gambia friendly cancelled amid travel concerns

The friendly between Bolivia and Gambia scheduled for Sunday, 4 October, in Santa Cruz has been cancelled after concerns emerged over the travelling arrangements and the return of Gambian players to their clubs.

The Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) says it had completed the preparations for the match, including arranging flights, hotels, referees and the required permits. It has described the cancellation as a unilateral breach of contract and said it intends to appeal to the appropriate authorities.

Gambia’s decision to call off the fixture comes after the Scorpions made a strong start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The team beat Somalia 2-1 before recording a 4-2 victory over Ghana in Accra. The proposed meeting with Bolivia was expected to give Gambia the chance to face opposition from South America during the current international window.

However, the journey to Santa Cruz involved several hours of travel and multiple layovers. Reports from Gambia’s local media indicate that the travelling arrangements had become a concern for some players, particularly because of the difficulties they could face when returning to their respective clubs.

The cancellation has been met with disapproval by the Bolivian federation, which says it had already made extensive arrangements for the match.

The FBF maintains that the preparations were well underway before Gambia withdrew from the fixture. It says the necessary arrangements had been made for the visiting team, including accommodation, travel and match officials.

The Gambian Football Federation has not published a detailed explanation officially confirming all the reasons behind the cancellation.

The decision means both sides have lost an opportunity to use the match as part of their preparations during the international window.

Bolivia had been scheduled to play its third match of the window against Gambia after facing Paraguay and Argentina. The Bolivians lost 2-0 to Paraguay before suffering a 4-0 defeat by Argentina.

Gambia, meanwhile, would have entered the fixture after victories over Somalia and Ghana in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.

The match was intended to provide both coaches with an opportunity to assess players and continue their work with their respective squads before their upcoming fixtures.

For Gambia, the cancellation means the team will not get the planned test against a South American opponent after its two wins in qualifying.

For Bolivia, the decision also leaves the team without the final fixture it had planned for the international window.

The circumstances surrounding the cancellation have therefore left both teams without the preparation opportunity they had expected, while the Bolivian federation considers its next steps over the disputed fixture.