The plane transporting Gambia to Abidjan for CAN 2024 had to make an emergency turnaround this Thursday after an oxygen failure in the cabin, which caused a large number of players to faint.
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“Another half hour of flight and we were dead“, declared this Thursday, January 11, the coach of the Gambia, Tom Saintfiet, to the Belgian daily Nieuwsblad, after the emergency landing of the plane which transported him and his players to the Ivory Coast, where will be held CAN 2024 (from January 13 to February 11).
Nine minutes after the plane took off, several players lost consciousness after experiencing nausea and headaches. The reason: a poor supply of oxygen to the cabin, which forced the pilot to make an emergency return to Banjul airport, fortunately without any casualties.
The Belgian coach criticized the federation’s choice to take the smallest plane possible that could transport the 50 members of the Gambian delegation. He also indicated that the Scorpions must now urgently travel to Ivory Coast, under penalty of being expelled from the tournament. In four days, Gambia will have to challenge Senegal for their entry into Group C.
