His real name is Lamin Jah and he was raised in Pikine, Senegal. On arrival in The Gambia, he played in the Serekunda West Nawettan in 1977 and matriculated to Kwame football club where he rapidly developed as a formidable force to be reckoned with.
His skill set was beyond masterful and to this day, Gambia has never had a footballer close to him at that position. Lamin Owens, as known to many, is one of the most versatile and talented Gambian footballers of all time.
His first outing with the national team was in 1978 at Bissau where he was invited for trials with the star studded Cosmos FC of New York, America. However, that did not go well because of his speed and he returned to Banjul to continue with Kwame football club. His position in the national team was permanent.
The legendary Gambian football commentator Saul Njie nicknamed him Lamin ‘Lor def Bahna’ because of his rare skill at that position. At his best, Lamin was unstoppable, says Ousainou Loum, one of Lamin’s long time admirers. “Lamin Owens was a rare combination of physical prowess and unbelievable technical ability. I don’t think The Gambia will have a player like him, he was a full package.”
His playing career took a hit in 1983 during a game at the Accra Sports Stadium against Ghana after a robust tackle by Ghana’s Hesse Odamtey. Lamin also played for Ports Authority before joining Wallidan.
In this interview with The Chronicle’s Omar Jarju, Lamin recalls his ‘classic’ football career. Watch the full interview below.
Gambia doesn’t honoured there heroes..
The title supposed to called this. Thank you for the Interview..please look to the other heroes