Gambia versus Cameroon: We will fight to the finish – Saintfiet

Coach of Scorpions of Gambia says he is aware that they face hosts as underdogs but insists the team is determined to fight to the finish in their quarterfinal clash  Saturday.

The Scorpions have continued to receive accolades from far and hear after  navigating to the last eight as debutants in a competition that has seen top favorites crashing out in the group stage and round of 16 respectively.

Tom Saintfiet while baring his mind on the progress of the team so far said though dubbed minnows the fighting spirit in the team is commendable. He added that though  team had come not only to fight to win but also be in a position to qualify more regularly for other editions, the feat achieved in Cameroon so far means the team  stand a good chance .

“Being in the quarter-finals, we like the taste of being here. We’d like to stay for a week longer but let’s now see what happens against Cameroon,” he enthused

Ranked 150th in the world, the coach added “I’ve always addressed the media by saying that we’re the minnows, that we’re here to learn and that we’re the underdogs.

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“We’re going to have to go through the pre-qualification process for AFCON in 2023 as we’re among the 12 worst-ranked teams in African football. That shows how small we are but naturally my ambition is to build something that is more long-term.

“We’ve got a young group of players who can grow still. It’s important we use this first experience at AFCON to qualify more frequently in 2023, 2025 and maybe even to be at the World Cup in 2026.