Team Gambia reports oxygen failen on plane to AFCON

Gambia head coach Tom Saintfiet claimed his team escaped catastrophe on Wednesday when the plane carrying them to the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations had to turn back due to a shortage of oxygen.

The team flew on a modest 50-seater propeller plane registered to Air Cote d’Ivoire that had been chartered for them by the Gambian Football Association.

According to Saintfiet, the flight’s oxygen supply failed, forcing some members of the team to lose consciousness before the pilot decided to return to Banjul, Gambia’s capital.

ESPN has contacted Air Cote d’Ivoire and the Gambian FA for comment.

According to a BBC report, the Gambian FA stated that “preliminary investigations indicated that there was a loss of cabin pressure and oxygen.”

Saintfiet told ESPN, “We were literally dying on the plane. There was no oxygen in the plane, so everyone fell asleep and got somewhat comatose, and the pilot opted to return after nine minutes in the air to save our lives.

“There were no oxygen masks coming down… I am willing to die for Gambia on the football pitch, not off it. I had brief nightmares about my life, and there were times when I feared I was going to die.”

Gambia defender Saidy Janko stated his teammates began to pass out after the plane took off.

“As soon as we entered the small plane that was hired to fly us, we noticed the intense heat that left us dripping with sweat,” Janko said on Instagram. “The staff told us that the air conditioning would start once we were in the air.

“The merciless heat, combined with a lack of air, left several people with severe headaches and disorientation. Furthermore, many began falling profoundly asleep minutes after departure.

“In the air, the situation worsened, forcing the pilot to undertake an emergency landing. If it hadn’t been for this, the outcome may have been far worse.”

They are scheduled to play their AFCON opener against holders Senegal in Yamoussoukro on Monday, but Saintfiet stated their participation in the competition is now uncertain.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has declined to comment.

“People still have headaches, vomiting, are dizzy, it could take weeks before we recover from this,” he said. “We’re puzzled, and we’re even considering boycotting the Africa Cup because we’re not treated fairly.

“We have families and children, yet [they] placed us on the cheapest airline available. We haven’t trained in three days, haven’t slept in three days, and have gone without meals for two days.

“If this is the case, let’s go home, let’s forget AFCON.”

Saintfiet stated that his Gambia squad will remain in Banjul after declining an invitation from the Gambia FA to re-attempt the 2100-kilometer travel on the same plane they boarded on Wednesday.

“They tried to put us on a plane — the same plane — this morning, and we all refused it,” Saintfiet added. “We were all angry.” “Even if we have to fly commercially tomorrow, we will do so, but we will not board that plane or any other little propeller-type aircraft.

“We fly with a real plane, not with an illegal plane or a plane like that.”

Gambia, who are appearing in their second Nations Cup after repeated qualifying under Saintfiet, will face Guinea in Yamoussoukro on January 19, followed by Cameroon four days later.