2024-01-15 07:39:14
Published on: 01/15/2024 – 08:39 Modified on: 01/15/2024 – 08:38
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“Progress? No, we lost a lot of players”, regrets the veteran technician from Africa before facing one of the big favorites, his Senegalese neighbor, Monday in Yamoussoukro (3:00 p.m.).
“Some of my starters have abandoned football, others have been without clubs for a long time like Yusupha Bobb and Sulayman Marreh,” sighs Saintfiet, 50 years old, 18 of whom have been training on the continent, from Satellite Abidjan to Togo via Namibia, before taking charge of the “Scorpions” five and a half years ago.
“Ebrima Sohna (35 years old) and Mohamed Jallow Mbye have stopped playing football, Pa Modou Jagne (34 years old) plays in the 5th Swiss division…” he lists.
“Expectations are higher and our quality is lower, I’m honest, and the tougher group is the group of death”, also including Cameroon and Guinea. “It’s going to be very difficult,” said the Belgian technician.
The 2022 tournament “was exceptional”
“The two defeats once morest Burundi (3-2) and Ivory Coast (2-0) in qualifying for the World Cup proved that we were worse,” he insists. “It’s the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve conceded two defeats in one week and the first time in three and a half years that we’ve conceded three goals.”
The happiness of Gambians following Ablie Jallow’s goal once morest Tunisia at the CAN, January 20, 2022 at the Limbé stadium © Issouf SANOGO / AFP/Archives
But “the people are asking for miracles from Gambia”, following the quarter-final two years ago, for the very first participation of the small country which only borders Senegal, nestled around the Gambia River.
“The whole tournament was exceptional,” he said when asked to recall the memories of 2022. “After the victory once morest Mauritania (1-0) for our very first CAN match, the president (of the Federation Lamin Kaba Bajo) told me: +It’s fantastic, even if we lose the other two+”
However, following the elimination in the quarter-finals once morest the Cameroonian host (2-0), “our feeling of defeat was terrible, it took me two weeks to put that into perspective. It’s the difference with the euphoria of beginner who had just won once morest Mauritania…”
Tom Saintfiet’s surprising Gambia team stopped by Cameroon in the CAN quarter-final, January 29, 2022 in Douala © Issouf SANOGO / AFP/Archives
“If you’re realistic, you have to be happy to play a quarter-final, but we felt strong, we wanted to stay until the end,” Saintfiet continues.
“We were afraid to die!”
Before the tournament, “I told my players: ‘We are here to make history’. We might be African champions, I showed them the videos of Denmark 1992 and Greece 2004”, champions of Europe surprised.
The second African Cup began with a huge scare: the Scorpions’ plane had to turn around due to a lack of oxygen.
“We were afraid of dying, the whole team, if the flight had lasted thirty minutes longer, we would all have died, 100%!”, says Saintfiet.
“It’s a little traumatic, but it helps strengthen the bonds. My players are very strong, my staff and the medical staff, all the supporters, nothing can destroy our team.”
Coach Tom Saintfiet during a press point in Yamoussoukro, January 14, 2024, the day before the derby once morest Senegal © Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
Despite the difficulties, the Belgian has not given up on further shaking up the hierarchy in Ivory Coast, helped by “a good federation, limited financially but which supports me, and the team manager Ousmane Drammeh, very important, who organizes everything “.
Saintfiet has also been working with the same management for five and a half years. “We became friends,” he emphasizes.
And he still has good players left, notably his backbone formed by defense chief Omar Colley, FC Metz midfielder Ablie Jallow and striker Musa Barrow.
“It’s important that these three are in good shape, we’re counting on these players,” he said, adding the great Gambian hope, Yankuba Minteh, of Feyenoord, 19, “a candidate for the best youngster podium”, promises Saintfiet.
The Gambia still has something to surprise.
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