“In Plane, Running Out Of Oxygen”: How Gambia’s AFCON Flight Nearly Transformed Into A Catastrophe

The Gambian public group’s players and staff “feared kicking the bucket” during an episode on board a planned trip to the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Countries which had to pivot, mentor Tom Saintfiet told AFP on Thursday. Gambia’s plane, set out toward Abidjan, needed to take an alternate route and return to Gambian capital Banjul on Wednesday only nine minutes into its excursion. The Gambian football organization said it was expected to a “deficiency of compartment pressurization and oxygen” yet that everybody on board was “in sound wellbeing”. The crew will rather travel to Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro on Thursday.

“We feared biting the dust, the entire group – – for 30 minutes we saw ourselves passing on,” Saintfiet told AFP by phone.

“After the previous experience, we are still somewhat scared of voyaging and have little cerebral pains still as well, yet we need to leave, to complete the process of planning for the CAN.”

The flight occurrence covered a troublesome groundwork for the group, who boycotted their last instructional course prior to leaving for the competition over a capability reward debate.

The players had skipped preparing while at the same time requesting a reward installment for fitting the bill for the competition, nearby media detailed, however the choice irritated allies who had come to watch the group in real life.

Fans vandalized pieces of the Freedom Arena in Bakau, not a long way from the capital Banjul.

Commander Omar Colley affirmed to neighborhood media on Wednesday that the rewards had since been paid.