The Gabon Football Team who is about to take on the Gambia National in the ongoing Africa Nation Cup got stranded over the weekend at the Banjul international airport, Sleeps on bare Floor after being refuse entry into the country
According to sources Gabon National Team arrived in Banjul at 11:00pm GMT last night and were stranded at the airport for hours.
Their passports were also confiscated despite providing negative COVID-19 test results within the 48-hour period.
The officials of Gambia Fa has yet to give official statement on what really went wrong, the match between Gambia vs Gabon is scheduled today 16 November
Clarification: The Behaviour of the Gabonese delegation
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has learnt with shocked and disbelief the attitude of the Gabonese delegation upon their arrival at the Banjul International Airport last night.
Despite 20:00hrs was communication to the officials in the Gambia, the Gabonese delegation arrival in The Gambia around 12midnight.
We learnt that upon their arrival at Banjul International Airport, the delegation refused to surrender their Covid-19 test certificates to the public health officials; equally they refused to be tested at the airport and put up with unfavourable behaviours
The public health officials on duty did not allow them to leave the airport without being tested until 05:30am after the matter was reported to the Match Commissioner by Mr. Lamin Jassey, General Secretary together with GFF President Mr . Lamin Kaba Bajo to CAF Medical Officer by Dr. Omar Sey , who is designated as CAF medical officer for this match.
The public health officials were given assurance by the Gabonese sports minister and the ambassador that tests will be conducted on each member of the delegation at their Hotel. It was after this assurance the delegation was allowed to leave the airport.
‘‘Let me state that it’s mandatory for the Gabonese delegation including the players be tested with a negative outcome before they can play with the scorpions. Their refusal of being tested at airport raises more doubts about the state of their players. We want to believe their actions are a clear indication that the test certificates in their possession may be fake, GFF GS discloses ’’
In light of the above, it’s our view that Gambia should not play with them if they refused to be tested to verify their status , Jassey added.
The matter is currently under discussion at the Technical/ coordination meeting at Football house spearheaded by the match commissioner.
The public would kept posted about the reaction of CAF regarding this very unpleasant behaviour of the Gabonese delegation.
Kind regards,
Thanks for clarification, but at list they would have allowed them since they already have covid 19 test clearance, if you want to test them again, it would have been in the hotel rooms, not allowing them to sleep on bare Floor in the airport, is totally wrong, thanks