Tom Saintfiet steps down as head coach of the Gambia after a disappointing AFCON campaign

By Emmanuel Austin Baah On Jan 24, 2024

Gambia’s national football team head coach, Tom Saintfiet, has resigned immediately following their exit from AFCON 2023, as confirmed by AfricaSoccer.com.

The 50-year-old Belgian coach stepped down after Gambia failed to secure any points in the group stage, suffering a 3-2 defeat against Cameroon in their final match.

Despite initially taking the lead, a late free-kick by Cameroon’s Christopher Wooh secured their victory, propelling them to the next round.

Gambia finished the group phase without a single point, having lost all three games to Senegal, Guinea, and Cameroon.

Saintfiet, expressing gratitude to the Football Association and his staff, declared,

“This was my last match as coach of Gambia. My contract expires in August 2026, but I step down.”

Despite reaching the quarter-finals in the previous AFCON, where they lost to the hosts, Saintfiet chose to end his tenure prematurely due to the disappointing campaign in Cote d’Ivoire.

Having led Gambia to their maiden AFCON appearance two years ago, the experienced tactician decided to part ways, citing the timing and his commitment to the nation.

Author

Emmanuel Austin Baah

My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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