The Gambia are said to have boycotted training on Tuesday over unpaid bonuses.
With just days before the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway, a certain team is now said to have boycotted training ahead of the tournament.
According to WIW Sport, The Gambia national team squad refused to train in front of the attending fans due to unpaid bonuses.
The incident took place at the national stadium in Banjul in a last training session for the team in their own country before jetting off to the host nation Ivory Coast.
The boycott is said to have led to a clash between the supporters and Gambian Football Federation (GFF) officials, as thousands of fans had turned up to the venue for a no show.
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The bonuses are reportedly in relation to the Scorpions’ qualification for the tournament, in which the players were promised $15 000 (R279 million) each by the GFF.
However, the officials have failed to honour their alleged committment, resulting in a strike that has since left a sour taste in the mouths of Gambian supporters.
The head coach Tom Saintfiet attempted to restore peace at the stadium but the crowd expressed their frustrations, calling on the GFF to pay the squad.
Gambia are in group C alongside reigning champions Senegal, Cameroon, and Guinea.
Ranked 126th in the world by FIFA, it will be The Gambia’s second appearance at Afcon, having previously made their debut in the showpiece in the 2021 edition.
#AFCON2023 stories from the #Gambia
The Scorpions failed to turn up to their open training session at the independent stadium due to unpaid bonuses. Tom Saintfiet and his technical team greeted the crowds as hundreds came to watch the scropion train. The Belgian-based gaffer is… pic.twitter.com/WkjKJSDLdq
— Buba Jallow Fallaboweh (@soccercafe1) January 9, 2024
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