Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet revealed that each he and his gamers skilled a harrowing ordeal, fearing for his or her lives when the airplane transporting them to the Africa Cup of Nations finals needed to make an emergency touchdown.
This surprising incident led to a delay of their arrival on the match in Ivory Coast.
Gambia’s squad set off from Banjul on Wednesday on a brief journey to Yamoussoukro, the place they are going to play their opening two group video games.
However, minutes after take-off, they rotated as a consequence of a scarcity of oxygen contained in the airplane, Saintfiet mentioned.
“Luckily for us, the pilot recognized the problem and, after nine minutes in the air, turned around to land again. We all fell asleep,” he instructed Reuters.
Gambia fullback Saidy Janko, previously at Manchester United and now with Swiss champions Young Boys, posted an in depth description on social media.
“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,” he wrote on Instagram.
“The inhumane warmth blended with the occurring lack of oxygen left many individuals with sturdy complications and excessive dizziness. Furthermore, individuals began falling deeply asleep minutes after takeoff.
“While within the air, the state of affairs bought worse, leaving the pilot with no different choice than initiating an emergency touchdown again in Banjul airport 9 minutes after takeoff, which occurred efficiently. If it wasn’t for this, the results might have been so much worse,” he wrote.
A press release from the Gambia Football Federation mentioned preliminary investigations indicated that there was a lack of cabin strain and oxygen.
“However, the technical staff of the working firm of the flight, Air Cote d’Ivoire, is additional assessing the state of affairs to determine what prompted the shortage of oxygen and cabin strain,” the assertion mentioned.
Air Cote d’Ivoire was approached for touch upon Thursday however didn’t instantly reply. The Confederation of African Football was additionally approached for remark and didn’t reply.
Saintfiet mentioned his gamers have been nonetheless battling nausea and complications on Thursday however that they have been as a consequence of depart at 4 p.m. native time.
Gambia performs its opening Group C recreation in Yamoussoukro on Monday in opposition to defending champions Senegal.
Source: www.dailysabah.com