Gambia's national football team faced a near tragedy on their way to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when the cabin oxygen supply failed during the flight from Banjul to Ivory Coast. It is reported that several players passed out shortly after takeoff, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing just nine minutes into the flight. Former Manchester United player Saidy Janko, who documented the situation on Instagram, criticized the country's football association for the unacceptable conditions, including intense heat and a lack of oxygen, which left many with severe headaches and extreme dizziness. And the Gambia's Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet expressed displeasure stating, "We almost got carbon monoxide poisoning and we could all have been dead. As soon as we entered the small plane that was hired to fly us, we noticed the immense heat that left us dripping in sweat. It was assured to us by the crew that the air conditioning would start once we are in the sky." "After nine minutes the pilot decided to return because there was no oxygen supply. Some players did not wake up until immediately after landing." Meanwhile, the Gambia Football Federation apologized for the incident and assured that the team is safe and awaiting further instructions as they seek to find a quick solution for the team to travel to Ivory Coast as soon as possible.