Gambia Coach Saintfiet Quits After AFCON Exit

The Gambia’s coach, Tom Saintfiet, resigned following the team’s exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations group stage.

The West Africans concluded at the bottom of Group C with three consecutive losses, sealing their fate with a 3-2 defeat against Cameroon.

Saintfiet, who took charge in 2018 and guided The Gambia to the quarter-finals in the 2021 Afcon, couldn’t replicate that success in Ivory Coast.

“Thank you for your service, gaffer. Gambia will indeed miss a great tactician,” the Gambia Football Federation said in a message posted on X.

Despite improvements in the team’s world ranking from 168th to 126th during his tenure, the Belgian coach decided to step down. The Gambia faced challenges in the lead-up to the tournament, including a difficult aftermath of the September earthquake in Marrakesh and a bonus payment dispute.

Ranked as the lowest team in the 2021 finals, the Scorpions managed to defeat Mauritania, Tunisia, and Guinea, reaching the quarterfinals where they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against hosts Cameroon.

Their journey in the 2023 Afcon began with a 3-0 loss to defending champions Senegal, followed by a 1-0 defeat against fellow West Africans Guinea.

With coaching experience in four different FIFA confederations, Saintfiet, known for managing Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Togo, steered The Gambia through a series of challenges.

The team faced adversity leading up to this year’s finals, having been caught up in the September earthquake in Marrakesh, Morocco, where over 2,000 people lost their lives, just before the final qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville.

Before the tournament, the squad protested a pre-tournament training session, demanding a bonus payment for qualifying. Additionally, their flight from Banjul to Ivory Coast was canceled due to a pressurization issue in the cabin.

Saintfiet emphasized that the traveling party “could have died” if the plane had not turned back and landed just minutes after leaving the Gambian capital.

Report By BBC Sports