Gambia national team plane forced to turn around after oxygen supply on flight failed, coach says

The Gambian team went through a harrowing situation while traveling to the Africa Cup of Nations

Gambia national team coach Tom Saintfiet revealed his team's plane went through a harrowing situation Wednesday. The Gambia national team was traveling to the Ivory Coast to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations but had to turn back as a result of a lack of oxygen, according to ESPN.

The Gambia national team was flying in a 50-seat propeller plane that was organized for the players and staff by the Gambian football association.

Saintfiet stated that some of the team became unconscious after the oxygen supply on the flight failed. The pilot then decided to return to the Gambian capital of Banjul.

The Gambian football association said "preliminary investigations indicated that there was a loss of cabin pressure and oxygen" in a statement.

"However, the technical team of the operating company of the flight, Air Cote d'Ivoire is further assessing the situation to establish what caused the lack of oxygen and cabin pressure," read a statement from the Gambian FA. 

Saintfiet provided ESPN with a chilling account of what occurred on the plane.

"We were really dying in the plane," Saintfiet said. "There was no oxygen in this plane, everyone fell asleep, became a little bit unconscious, and the pilot decided after nine minutes of being in the air to return to save our lives.

"There were no oxygen masks dropping down ... I am ready to die for Gambia, but on the football pitch, not off it. I had short dreams where my life passed, I had moments where I thought I was dying."

Gambia defender Saidy Janko shared his account of the situation as well, noting that his teammates started to fall unconscious shortly after take-off. 

"As soon as we entered the small plane that was hired to fly us, we noticed the intense heat that left us dripping with sweat," Janko said in a post on Instagram. "It was assured to us by the crew that the air conditioning would start once we are in the sky.

"The inhumane heat mixed with the lack of oxygen left many people with strong headaches and full dizziness. Furthermore, people started falling deeply asleep minutes after takeoff.

"In the air, the situation got worse, leaving the pilot with no choice but to initiate an emergency landing. If it wasn't for this, the consequences could have been a lot worse."

Saintfiet also said the Gambian national team remained in Banjul and refused to reboard the same aircraft organized by the Gambia football association. 

"They tried to put us on a plane -- the same plane -- this morning, and we all refused it," Saintfiet said. "Even if tomorrow we have to travel on a commercial flight, we will do, but we will not enter that plane, or any similar type of small propeller-type plane.

"We fly with a real plane, not with a illegal plane or a plane like that."

Gambia is slated to face Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations in Yamoussoukro on Monday, but it's unclear if they'll still compete given this ordeal.