After a traumatic experience due to an earthquake, Saintfiet finds himself in the middle of all the havoc for the Africa Cup | Sport

Tom Saintfiet was in Marrakech with Gambia for an international match against Congo-Brazzaville. On Friday evening he was in a hotel with his team when the earthquakes occurred. In the new part of the city, not in the old part where the devastation is greatest. Yet Saintfiet was also terrified there. He takes us to that terrible moment.

“I had only been in my room for a few minutes. I was sitting on my bed, resting. Until it started. At first I thought for a split second that someone was aggressively banging on the door. Afterwards I thought about a plane that had crashed into the hotel, as we are close to the airport. But when I saw the walls moving back and forth and things falling to the ground, I realized it was an earthquake. The tremor lasted thirty seconds, but the feeling was endless. It was horrible. You don’t know what’s coming next.”

Saintfiet did not hesitate: “I immediately laid myself down next to the bed with thick pillows surrounding me. When it calmed down, I left the room to grab some staff members from their rooms and run outside. All the people – our selection but also many tourists – had gathered at the pool. Everyone was in shock.”

Returning to the rooms was not an option. Too many cracks in the walls, some ceilings that had fallen down. “And the structure of the building may have also been damaged.” So spending the night around the pool was the only option. “Some players in beach chairs, others on blankets and sofas that we have pulled out of the buildings here and there. I only slept for an hour or two. There was too much fear of aftershocks. This was a traumatic experience. To give an example: a cart with luggage passed by. I just woke up. When we hear an airplane or loud noise, fear arises. Last night – from Saturday to Sunday – we were allowed by the hotel management to go back to our rooms. But the majority of our selection did not take that risk. They didn’t dare. That proves everything: the fear is still there. We will be happy when we catch the flight home tomorrow.”

But first Gambia had to play football. Last night against Congo-Brazzaville, where Paul Put (67) is coach. With a draw, Gambia qualified for the Africa Cup. Congo-Brazzaville had to win to qualify. And the latter scenario seemed to be happening. Only in the last ten minutes did Gambia pull out a 2-2 draw, which ensures their spot at the next Africa Cup. Days full of emotion for Saintfiet.

“It is incomprehensible, unacceptable even that we have to play that game,” Saintfiet said before the match. “We are in a crisis situation, there are more than 2,000 fatalities. The country has declared three days of national mourning. But the African Football Federation forces us to play football… In the Stade de Marrakech, which is barely two kilometers from hospitals where people suffer and mourn. But the show must go on, apparently… This is disrespectful to the families. Actually unreal.”