[citation needed] Under the name British Gambia, the team played their first ever game on 9 February 1953 against Sierra Leone, winning 2–1 at home in a friendly.

They were drawn in a group with France's amateur team, the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Gabon.

In August of that same year, the Gambia entered their first qualification for the African Cup of Nations, with the aim of reaching the 1976 finals in Ethiopia.

After the qualification campaign for the 1976 finals, The Gambia played their first match against a full European side, losing a home friendly 4–1 to Denmark on 30 January 1977.

On 13 November, in their first Group D match of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, Gambia defeated Angola 1–3 in Luanda.

A further win against Guinea in the Round of 16 saw them reach the quarter-finals at their first attempt, eventually going out to tournament hosts Cameroon.

It is currently used mostly for football matches, although it is also used for music concerts, political events, trade fairs and national celebrations.

Win Draw Loss Fixture The following players were called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Comoros and Tunisia on 15 and 18 November 2024.