CAF Awards nomination was special for Gambia
Gambia national team coach, Tom Saintfiet, says being was nominated for something special for the nation. On the down side, the Belgian mentor can no longer rely on the element of surprise ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
“It’s something special, a great I am very proud of our work, my staff, my players but also from my Federation. It’s something unique alongside major countries such as Senegal and Morocco. Their presence is something to be expected, but for a small country like the Gambia, to be among the top three national teams from Africa, it’s just special. It is not known whether this will be replicated in the future,” Saintfiet told Yoro Mangara in an interview.
The Gambia national team was one the success stories of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the Scorpions continued to churn out good results under Saintfiet throughout 2022 and 2023. A quarterfinal finish in Cameroon as debutants was something not predicted by a lot of football followers.
“This nomination among the three best teams in Africa is a lever that I intend to use to motivate my players. All our sacrifices pay off in the end. All of our work is respected, not just by Gambians, not just by our Federation, but also by the world of football and above all by the world of football the Africa,” Saintfiet explained.
Being one of the top three nations in Africa will come with its own pressures for The Gambia as they are now expected to put in another good performance next January.
“Anyway, in The Gambia, everyone expects us to be the champions of Africa,” the coach laughed. “There’s always pressure to win our games. As a coach and as a player, we give it our all to win all our games. It’s not easy, but there’s no no excess pressure. The pressure is always there” stressed the Belgian coach.
The Gambia will be facing defending champions Senegal, Cameroon, and Guinea in what the coach has described as a very difficult group.
“It’s a very difficult group. But as a coach with a team, you never go into a game with the idea of losing it. One wants to win every game, qualify for the 2nd round. We know that it will be more difficult than at the last AFCON. There are reasons for this. We were a surprise team in Cameroon but today, everyone knows our qualities,” Sainfiet elaborated.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will be staged in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11 2023.
