GAMBIA'S 2024 AFCON TEAM FLIGHT SCARE

Failed oxygen supply forced the Gambia national football team's Aire Côte d'Ivoire flight to do an emergency landing on 10 January, just 9 minutes after taking off. That, as well as the extreme heat, left players and team staff drenched in sweat. Some reportedly had passed out on board. The team was on its way to the Ivory Coast, where it will play its first game on Monday against neighbouring Senegal at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. The experience left a bitter taste in coach Tom Saintfiet’s mouth, who said he was not willing to risk his life to complete the two-and-a-half-hour flight.