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