Africa-Press – Gambia. Gambia international Yankuba Minteh won the Person of the Year Award at the 5th National Heroes Award on Saturday night.
His prize is among ten awards bestowed on Gambians whose accomplishments and contributions have impacted the country and her people in the 12 months. The heroes award is organised by Fatu Network, founded by Journalist Fatu Camara. Other prizes go for contributions in health, education, environment, and youth among others.
Person of The Year
Yankuba Minteh started his football career at Steve Biko FC in Bakau. His agent Bakary Bojang asked Danish club OB to have a look at him and a fellow Gambian, Dawda Darboe. They were both called in for a try-out in the summer of 2021, playing for OB in their preparation ahead of the 2021–22 season. Minteh didn’t leave a good impression, but he got a second chance at a try-out, and that was a way better impression. In the summer of 2022, he signed a two-year contract with OB. First for the U19-team, and later the same year a first-team contract. He made his Danish Superliga debut on 10 September 2022 in a 2–1 win against Copenhagen and scored the winning goal just three minutes after coming on as a substitute for Franco Tongya.
On 12 June 2023, Premier League club Newcastle United announced that they had reached a deal to sign Minteh on a permanent deal from 1 July. Media reports claimed that Newcastle would pay OB a fee in the region of €7 million. Simultaneously, Newcastle also announced that upon his arrival, Minteh would be immediately loaned out to Eredivisie champions Feyenoord for the 2023–24 season.
Minteh made his debut for the club on 4 August in the 2023 Johan Cruyff Shield. He scored his first goal for the club on 3 September, scoring the fifth goal in a 5–1 away win against FC Utrecht. In late October 2023, he picked up a muscle injury, missing several weeks as a result. On 13 December, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 2–1 away defeat against Celtic in the final group stage match of the 2023–24 season, in which he became the second Gambian to achieve this feat following Ebrima Colley.
On 7 April 2024, he scored a brace and provided an assist for his club in a 6–0 victory over Ajax in De Klassieker, to be their opponent’s worst defeat in the Eredivisie history.
Brighton & Hove Albion
On 1 July 2024, Minteh joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported fee of £30 million, signing a five-year contract with the club. Minteh made his debut for the club on 17 August 2024 in a fixture in which he provided an assist for Kaoru Mitoma in a 3–0 win over Everton. Minteh scored his first Premier League goal on 6 October 2024 in a 3–2 win over Tottenham. He continued to impress for Brighton as their season went on, proceeding to score a brace in a 3–0 victory over Chelsea.
International career
On 4 November 2022, Minteh received his first call-up to the Gambia national team for friendly matches against DR Congo and Liberia. Minteh scored his first international goal during Gambia’s 2-2 draw against Congo.
He participated in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast playing in the last two games of the group stages. Minteh scored his second goal for the Gambia on 8 June 2024 in a 3-1 Victory over Seychelles. He scored his 3rd international goal against Gabon in a Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
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