Gambia’s coach claims his squad may have died in AFCON flight

Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet has claimed the nationwide crew got here inside half an hour of dying after their flight to the African Cup of Nations was compelled to land attributable to lack of oxygen on Wednesday.

The squad and training workers have been on a flight from the capital metropolis of Banjul heading for the Ivory Coast for the match, which was attributable to take two and a half hours.

Several gamers handed out shortly after boarding the airplane, with the pilot compelled to return the to Banjul Airport simply 9 minutes after taking off.

Saintfiet, a Belgian coach who has managed Gambia since 2018, believes everybody on the flight may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning had the pilot not returned to the airport. 

‘We may all have been lifeless,’ Saintfiet informed the Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad.

‘We all fell asleep rapidly, after 9 minutes, the pilot determined to return as a result of there was no oxygen provide.

‘Some gamers didn’t get up instantly after touchdown. We virtually acquired carbon monoxide poisoning.

‘Another half hour of flight and we’d all be lifeless.’

Gambia Football Federation president Lamin Kaba Bajo claimed there was no proof for the claims the delegation may have been susceptible to potential carbon monoxide poisoning.

‘I by no means felt it and it is not clinically, scientifically or medically confirmed,’ Kaba Bajo informed the BBC.

‘Those are particular person observations and perceptions, however there was not something like that. I used to be virtually sitting subsequent to the coach and I did not see anybody collapse.

‘I do know that individuals, when a airplane takes off, they sleep.

‘Some individuals have been dozing, sleeping, however we landed safely. There was not a single incident, all of us got here down and boarded the bus to return to the terminal.’

The former Manchester United participant Saidy Janko mentioned in an Instagram publish some on board have been left affected by ‘robust complications and excessive dizziness’.

Janko, who posted a video of the squad disembarking the airplane, slammed his nation’s affiliation for the ‘unacceptable’ state of affairs.

Janko, 28, wrote on Instagram: ‘Unacceptable. After travelling 32 hours in whole from Saudi Arabia (Training Camp) to The Gambia with lengthy layovers in Istanbul and Casablanca, we have been alleged to fly from Gambia to Ivory Coast for the AFCON at the moment.

‘As quickly as we entered the small airplane that was employed to fly us, we seen the immense warmth that left us dripping in sweat.

‘It was assured to us by the crew that the air-con would begin as soon as we’re within the sky.

‘The inhumane warmth blended with the occurring lack of oxygen left many individuals with robust complications and excessive dizziness.

‘Furthermore, individuals began falling deeply asleep minutes after getting into the plane/takeoff.

‘Whilst within the air, the state of affairs acquired worse, leaving the pilot with no different possibility, than initiating an emergency touchdown again in Banjul airport 9 minutes after takeoff. Which occurred efficiently.

‘If it wasn’t for this, the results may have been so much worse!!! Knowing what may have occurred, if we’d have been uncovered to the state of affairs for any longer – in an airplane, operating out of oxygen…

‘We are grateful that everybody is feeling effectively however this can be a state of affairs that must be addressed going into the AFCON, as being solely one in all our obstacles on worldwide obligation.

‘This is unacceptable and [as] such has to stop with quick impact.’

Gambia underwent a light-weight coaching session at Independence Stadium in Bakau following their return from the airport.

The Gambia Football Federation later confirmed that the nation’s president Adama Barrow had intervened to safe a direct flight to the Ivory Coast’s capital Yamoussoukro, fairly than their preliminary vacation spot of Abidjan.

Saintfiet had claimed that his crew wanted to have arrived within the host nation on Thursday or threat probably being thrown out of the match.

‘Because the crew needed to fly on to Yamoussoukro, which is a smaller airport and for safety causes there’s particular approval required for greater flights to land there,’ a Gambia Football Federation assertion learn.

‘Thus, President Barrow was in contact together with his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara on the matter. In this regard, Air Côte d’Ivoire has already dispatched an Airbus 319 which is able to arrive in Banjul at noon to ferry the crew. 

‘The permits have additionally been granted for the Airbus to land in Yamoussoukro as an alternative of Abidjan.

‘The GFF takes this chance to thank His Excellency for his present of statesmanship as soon as once more in intervening and discovering a fast resolution.’  

The federation later shared images of the crew and training workers on the substitute flight, in addition to footage of the squad having safely touched down within the Ivory Coast.

The flight drama continued a difficult build-up to the match for Gambia, with the squad having refused to practice on Tuesday over unpaid bonuses they are saying are owed to them. 

This left followers on the open coaching session in Bakau disillusioned however the matter was ultimately resolved.

Gambia will now put together for his or her opening group match of the match in opposition to holders Senegal on Monday.

Cameroon and Guinea are their different group stage opponents.