TOM Saintfiet, the Belgian coach who transformed Gambia from minnows to Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finalists this year, desperately wants to avoid the fate that befell Madagascar.
Debutants Madagascar took the 2019 Cup of Nations in Egypt by storm, stunning Nigeria in a group match, then eliminating the Democratic Republic of Congo before falling to Tunisia in the quarter-finals.
But as quickly as the Malagasy rose, they crashed, failing to make it to the 2021 Cup of Nations and winning only one of six World Cup qualifiers.
Saintfiet wants Gambia to build on a great run in Cameroon, where they upset Tunisia and Guinea before losing a last-eight clash with the hosts.
“We do not want to be remembered as one-tournament wonders — we want to qualify for the 2023 and 2025 Cup of Nations finals and for the 2026 World Cup,” he told reporters in Gambia.
Gambia play Chad
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