Tom Saintfiet, the football backpacker who is lifting Gambia to the top of Africa

Published on : 28/01/2022 – 20:07

Before joining Gambia, Tom Saintfiet coached 25 teams in 22 different countries, including 10 national teams. A football backpacker, the Belgian has found some stability with the Scorpions, which he qualified for the first CAN in their history and now the first quarter-final played on Saturday January 26 against the host country, Cameroon.

“I don’t really like this word globetrotter. I am a globetrotter to be a coach, not a coach to be a globetrotter”, explains to AFP this coach with an atypical look, between Professor Tournesol and Didier Raoult.

At the age of 48, Tom Saintfiet has already worked with seven African selections but also those of Yemen, Trinidad and Tobago or Malta, but also with the U17s of Qatar and he was vice-champion of the Faroe Islands.

taken for a fool

“When I arrived in July 2018, The Gambia had not won a competitive match for five years, in September 2013 against Tanzania (2-0 in World Cup qualifying),” he recalls. . “There was no hope, the team was 172^e of the FIFA rankings. I said, ‘I’m here to qualify The Gambia’, everyone thought I was crazy.”

But the Belgian has a project. Convince Gambian dual nationals to join the small selection. The federation is not structured and rich enough to pay for these trips? Never mind, he travels at his own expense throughout Europe. “I know that my federation has limited means and therefore either I stay at home, or I invest myself in my team. Money has never been my motivation”, he breathes.

By dint of negotiations, he recovered a solid workforce, especially in Belgian clubs. Among the known names of the selection: Omar Colley (ex-Genk), Sulayman Marreh (La Gantoise), Mohamed Badamosi (Courtrai), Ablie Jallow (Seraing), Bubacarr Sanneh (without club) and, above all, his star Musa Barrow ( Atalanta).

From the first match, in September 2018 against Algeria (1-1), the beautiful story begins between the Belgian and his new adopted country.

“There were 45,000 people at Independence Stadium, but the capacity is only 25,000. There were spectators hanging from the lighting pylons, (others had) climbed onto the scoreboard, everywhere We waited an hour and a half to start, that says passion. And we held Riyad Mahrez and (these) great players in check!”

To come to Cameroon, Gambia achieved a feat: “finishing first in a very tough group with DR Congo, Gabon and Angola”, savors Saintfiet.

To succeed in this tour de force, “what I changed was the strategy, the discipline, on the lawn but also outside”, he develops. “I am supported by a very good federation and an extraordinary team manager, Ousmane Drammeh”.

The pressure on Cameroon

Since the start of the competition, The Gambia have often shot less on goal than their opponents, but the Scoprions have been more lethal. In a press conference, he insists on his work of mental preparation:

“We show them videos of Denmark at Euro 1992, which they won as a big surprise. Greece in 2004 and Zambia in 2012 also inspire us,” explains the coach.

For the quarter-final, it will be no different. He still tried to put pressure on Cameroon.

“We know that Cameroon are the big favorites with at least an 80% chance of winning. Nobody saw us at this stage at the start of the competition. is a great team and everyone sees it African Champion…. If we get out of there alive, we can create a surprise”, declares Tom Saintfiet, rogue.

Saintfiet, “in love with this continent since (his) readings of the Africa Football magazine, which (he bought) young”, savors, but already sees beyond the CAN.

“I am a professional coach, my ambition is to go to the World Cup. But I am realistic, Belgium, France or Argentina are not waiting for me,” he admits. “So I traveled, I speak English, German, Dutch, French, a little Arabic and other languages. I adapt very well, I can live everywhere, I have respect for all cultures, I I was able to live in Bangladesh, in Namibia, in Finland…”

With AFP