PORTLAND, Ore.– Away on national team duty, Portland Timbers defender Mamadou “Futty” Danso helped The Gambia National Team to a 3-0 shutout victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in an international friendly Wednesday at Independence Stadium in Bakau, The Gambia.
Danso, 28, was one of three players from Major League Soccer, along with Mustapha Toubabo Jarju (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) and Sanna Nyassi (Colorado Rapids), in the Starting XI for The Gambia in its win over DR Congo. With the start, Danso earned his third career cap for the Scorpions.
Danso is scheduled to rejoin the Timbers in Houston, Texas, where the club will open a two-match road trip on Sunday against the Houston Dynamo. From Houston, the Timbers travel Kansas City, Kan., to face Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
The match against DR Congo was one of the final preparation matches for The Gambia leading up to the country’s 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Namibia in September and Burkina Faso in October. The Gambia is currently second in their group with three points from two games; Burkina Faso leads the group with a maximum nine points from three qualification matches.
Danso, a native of Serekunda, The Gambia, was recalled for a third time year by The Gambia head coach Paul Put for the match against DR Congo. In 2011, Danso has joined the Scorpions for friendlies against Equatorial Guinea (March 29) and Gabon (June 7). It was The Gambia’s match against Equatorial Guinea this spring in which he earned his first senior cap.
With the Timbers this season, Danso has played in 16 games (15 starts) and scored two goals, including the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union on May 6 at JELD-WEN Field. His 1,293 minutes played ranks third among Timbers defenders.
He received his first call-up with The Gambia National Team in September, 2010, and was with the team for 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Namibia (Sept. 4, 2010) and Burkina Faso (Oct. 9, 2010) last year.
The Timbers visit the Houston Dynamo on Sunday at Robertson Stadium at 6 p.m. (PT) live on ROOT SPORTS and nationally on Galavisión (Spanish). Radio broadcasts will be available on 750 AM The Game and in Spanish on La Pantera 940 AM.
