The Somali winger who scored against The Gambia on Friday night is half Gambian — and he is not the only Njie brother representing Somalia.
Bilal Njie, 28, and his brother Mousa Njie were born to a Somali mother and Gambian father. Both brothers are currently with the Somali national team in The Gambia for the CECAFA tournament.
Bilal was born in Oslo, Norway, and was eligible to represent The Gambia, Somalia or Norway because of his family background.
He plays for KFUM Oslo in Norway’s top flight, the Eliteserien. He joined the club in August 2025 and is contracted until the end of 2027.
Primarily a left winger, Bilal can also play as an attacking midfielder or striker.
The Gambia could once have had him wearing the Scorpions colours, but he ultimately chose to represent Somalia.
That decision brought him to his father’s homeland on Friday, where he scored against The Gambia before the Scorpions fought back to win 2–1 at the Independence Stadium.
The story is made even more intriguing by the fact that Bilal and Mousa are now representing Somalia on Gambian soil — two brothers with Gambian and Somali roots, wearing the colours of their mother’s country.
