Sports Brief reports that the team’s departure had to be
delayed after reportedly losing oxygen on the flight carrying the entire
Gambian squad en route to Abidjan.
The Scorpions will face defending champions, Senegal;
five-time champions Cameroon, and Guinea in Group C of the tournament.
A statement from the Gambia Football Federation on Thursday
stated that after nine minutes in the air, the operators of the plane started
experiencing technical challenges, leading to some players and technical team
members suffering severe headaches and breathing problems.
“The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) regrets to inform the
general public that the chartered flight carrying the Scorpions to the Africa
Cup of Nations returned to Banjul due to technical problems. The flight was
nine minutes long when the crew realised this and immediately requested a
return to Banjul. Upon landing, preliminary investigations indicated that there
had been a loss of cabin pressure and oxygen.
“However, the technical team of the flight operating
company, Air Côte d’Ivoire, is further assessing the situation to establish the
cause of the lack of oxygen and pressure in the cabin. In this regard, the
team, including players and staff, are now en route to the Ocean Bay Hotel
awaiting further instructions,” the statement read.
The football federation however confirmed that the players
and technical team were safe and plans for a new departure time have been
arranged.
The 34th edition of the African Nations Cup starts this
weekend, January 13 and it will run until February 11, 2024.
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