Gambia AFCON squad had a ‘NEAR-DEATH’ experience due to oxygen failure in their flight!

Gambia Football Team for AFCON returns to home base just nine minutes after their journey!

Gambia AFCON squad had a ‘NEAR-DEATH’ experience due to oxygen failure in their flight!

Gambia AFCON Squad. (Source: The Gambian FA)

In a horrifying incident for Gambia’s National Football team, they nearly experienced death due to aircraft complications. The team traveling for the Africa Cup of Nations went through a displeasing critical oxygen supply failure.

The squad and the head coach were traveling from Banjul to Ivory Coast and experienced grave distress after just nine minutes into their journey. Even unfortunate things unfolded as several players passed out due to a lack of cabin oxygen, scaring the rest of the passengers. This resulted in the pilot resorting to an immediate emergency landing at the Banjul Airport to avert further peril.

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Former Manchester United player Saidy Janko documented the entire incident on Instagram, criticizing the Gambian Football Association for the ‘unacceptable‘ situation. He expressed that the passengers endured extreme heat, followed by solid headaches and dizziness during the scary journey.

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Gambia’s Belgian coach, Tom Saintfiet, had disclosed the gravity of the incident to ESPN, he said: 

We were really dying in the plane. There was no oxygen in this plane, everyone fell asleep, became a little bit unconscious, and the pilot decided after nine minutes of being in the air to return to save our lives. There were no oxygen masks dropping down ... I am ready to die for Gambia, but on the football pitch, not off it. I had short dreams where my life passed, I had moments where I thought I was dying.

The Gambian FA has confirmed the flight complications with the chartered company. As the team regroups for their AFCON campaign, they will be looking to forget the harsh incident and use it as a motivating factor to unite with one another and perform on the pitch.

Here’s how the Gambia’s squad for AFCON looks

Gambia enters the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a promising squad under the guidance of coach Tom Saintfiet. Having qualified for the finals in 2021 and impressively reaching the quarter-finals, the team is drawn into Group C alongside formidable opponents Cameroon, Guinea, and Senegal. Coach Saintfiet, a Belgian journeyman with a diverse coaching history across 10 different national teams, is set to lead the squad in what is considered one of his more extended stints since taking over the Gambian team in mid-2018.

Gambian AFCON Squad
Gambian AFCON Squad (Source: African Top Sports)

The 50-year-old’s coaching journey spans various countries, including the Faroe Islands, Finland, Jordan, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Tanzania. One of the key players to watch in Gambia’s lineup is 19-year-old forward Yankuba Minteh. Despite limited international experience with only one appearance for his country, Minteh showcased his potential by scoring a decisive goal in the qualifiers against Congo.

Currently on loan from Newcastle United at Feyenoord, Minteh has also made a mark in the Champions League this season, making him a potential sensation in the upcoming tournament in the Ivory Coast. Gambia’s FIFA world ranking stands at 126 as of December 2023, and they secured their place in the AFCON as the second-placed team in Group G, finishing ahead of Congo and South Sudan but behind Mali. With a mix of experienced players and emerging talents, Gambia aims to make a significant impact in the competition, building on their previous achievements.

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