Mbassey Darboe


Mbassey Darboe is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liberian Women's First Division club Determine Girls F.C. and The Gambia national football team.

Club career

In 2013, while playing for New Town's women's team, Darboe was named the inaugural Brikama Female League Best Player. By 2016, the midfielder; already nicknamed Messi in The Gambia, helped Interior win the 2016–17 Women's Domestic League season opener, securing the Super Cup title. In January 2018, she was named the best player of the month in the Country Women's First Division.
In October 2022, Liberia's most successful club Determine Girls announced the signing of Darboe on a season-long loan from her parent club, The Gambia Police Force. Following her arrival, she took part in the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Since joining the club, she has been a key player, regularly contributing goals and demonstrating strong tactical awareness. She helped the team win the league title in two consecutive seasons. In November 2024, She was nominated by the Liberia Football Association for the Most Valuable Player and Best Foreign Player awards.

International career

Darboe received her first call-up to the senior national team in 2016 for a match against Casa Sports Women's team at the Soma Mini-Stadium, where Gambia secured a 5–1 victory, with Darboe scoring one of the goals. In May 2017, she was included in Gambia's squad for what was scheduled to be their first-ever official international match against Cape Verde. On 21 December 2019, she scored her first international goal in a 2–4 friendly defeat to Senegal.

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
121 December 2019Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès, Senegal2–42–4Friendly match
224 February 2025Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès, Senegal1–02–12026 [Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification#First round|2026 WAFCON qualifying]
326 May 2025Ksar Stadium, Nouakchott, Mauritania1–33–42025 WAFU [Zone A Women's Cup]