Newcastle
oxygen fails with newcastle player why on plane
Newcastle United player Yankuba Minteh has gone through a horrific experience with the rest of the Gambia national team and coaches.
The cabin oxygen supply failed on the plane which was transporting them to the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations).
Gambia team boss Tom Saintfiet saying ‘Another half hour of flying and we would all have been dead.’
The Belgian national saying how he and all the players all fell asleep very quickly and they came so close to getting carbon monoxide poisoning.
Belgian football manager Tom Saintfiet has been speaking to media in his native Belgium about the ordeal, telling Netsport.uk
“We could all have been dead.
“We all fell asleep quickly.
“I had short dreams about how my life was done.
“Really and truly.
“After nine minutes the pilot decided to return because there was no oxygen supply.
Some players did not wake up [on the plane until] immediately after landing.
“We almost got carbon monoxide poisoning.
“Another half hour of flying and we would all have been dead.
“We are now [back] in Gambia and no longer want to fly with such an aircraft…
“That was about the smallest they could find, perhaps, with propellers, for 50 people.
“As if the only thing mattered was that it flew.
“There are limits.
“I am willing to die on the football field, I am not willing to die for my job off the field.”
The plane had taken off on Wednesday from Banjul, the capital of Gambia, only to return there due to the emergency situation that quickly developed.
Gambia are due to start their AFCON group matches against holders Senegal on Monday, so now need to find a safe way to still get to the Ivory Coast.
Along with Newcastle United player Yankuba Minteh (currently on loan at Feyenoord), Saidy Janko is another one of the Gambia squad.
The former Manchester United youth prospect now plays for Swiss side Young Boys and he used Instagram to get the message across, as to how he and the rest of the squad are feeling after what happened. Janko backing up the Gambia team boss.
“Unacceptable.
“After travelling 32 hours in total from Saudi Arabia [Training Camp] to The Gambia, with long layovers in Istanbul and Casablanca, we were supposed to fly from Gambia to Ivory Coast for the AFCON today [Wednesday].
“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.
“The inhumane heat mixed with the occurring lack of oxygen left many people with strong headaches and extreme dizziness.
“Furthermore, people started falling deeply asleep minutes after entering the aircraft / takeoff.
“Whilst in the air, the situation got worse, leaving the pilot with no other option, than initiating an emergency landing back in Banjul airport nine minutes after takeoff. Which happened successfully.
“If it wasn’t for this, the consequences could have been a lot worse!!!
“Knowing what could have happened, if we would have been exposed to the situation for any longer – in an airplane, running out of oxygen…
“We are grateful that everyone is feeling well but this is a situation that has to be addressed going into the AFCON, as being only one of our obstacles on international duty.
“This is unacceptable and [as] such has to cease with immediate effect.”
