The first teams are already heading to Ivory Coast for afcon 2023 scheduled from January 13 to February 11. The Gambia, opponent of Senegal, Cameroon and Guinea Conakry, faces a major problem which forces the Scorpions to threaten a boycott of the competition.
Surprise team of afcon 2021, Gambia is obviously eagerly awaited for afcon 2023 in Ivory Coast. Tom Sainfiet’s men were unlucky enough to fall into the group of death. Accompanied by the reigning African champion, Senegal, Cameroon, third in the last afcon and Guinea Conakry, Gambia is seen as the little thumb of the hen and the Bookmakers do not sell their hides dearly. According to predictions, it is very likely that Gambia will return home after their three matches in the group stage and the players are aware of this and have already decided to secure their rear.
Big crisis in Gambia 3 days before afcon 2023
With their status as a small team which should quickly leave the competition, being housed in the group of death, the Gambia Scorpions then made a totally unexpected decision. According to cross-references, Tom Sainfiet’s players refused on Tuesday to show up for the final training session before their trip to Ivory Coast for afcon 2023.
By opting for this boycott, Gambian players are demanding all of their bonuses. Which provoked the wrath of supporters who came to the Independence Stadium to watch their team’s last session. According to the local press, the Gambian Football Federation even imposed a paid session on all supporters. With the players’ boycott, they decided to trash everything before leaving the stadium.
“Gambia’s preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations took a negative turn on Tuesday evening during a scheduled training session at the Independence Stadium. The Scorpions reportedly boycotted their scheduled training session at the Independence Stadium, citing unpaid bonuses. Gambian fans came to watch the team’s final training session, but the players did not show up. Coach Tom Sainfiet and his technical team are present at the stadium. Coach Tom Sainfiet and his technical team spent the evening at the Independence Stadium, but the players were nowhere to be found. Tuesday evening’s training session was to be the last before the team’s departure for Ivory Coast,” the local press recalls.
Tom Sainfiet confirms the boycott of his players
The Gambia coach and his staff were present at the Independence Stadium for the team’s last session before the trip to Ivory Coast. But the captain warned him that he and his teammates would not be present. Speaking to the press after the boycott, Belgian technician Tom Sainfiet confirmed the problems with unpaid premiums.
He admitted that the players’ absence from training was linked to financial concerns. Tom Saintfiet did not reveal the total amount of unpaid bonuses, but he did reveal that he received a call from the team captain before training, informing him of the players’ decision not to participate in training. We hope that the local authorities resolve the problem in order to allow The Gambia to take part in afcon 2023.
The Gambia is housed in Group C with Senegal, reigning champion, Cameroon, four-time CAN winner, and Guinea, having recently beaten Nigeria in a preparation match.
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