Tom Saintfiet is Gambia’s best coach in a decade at the end of the Scorpions’ campaign in the 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Despite the impressive campaign, his charges missed out to Algeria and Benin for a place in the Egypt edition. The Belgian’s initial nine-month contract ended on a high having secured The Gambia its highest qualification point average in the last 10 years as well.
The Saint break the jinx for the country when the Scorpions mauled Benin 3-1 in Banjul, ending our winless streak of more than half a decade. In the process, the 46-year-old equaled the Scorpions’ highest competitive scoring record in eight years. It is also under the reigns of the Belgian that The Gambia leaped up in the rakings as biggest movers in the world at the end of November 2018 according to FIFA.
He is credited as the only Scorpions coach in the last ten years to have secured a positive goal difference at the end of a qualification campaign. The Saint is also the only Scorpions’ coach to have ever recorded a result in Algeria. Having secured a 1-1 draw in Banjul in his first ever game in charge, The Gambia again came from behind to record an identical scoreline stalemate in Blida, a ground that the Foxes have never lost. In our previous three visits to Algeria before last month’s draw, The Gambia lost 1-0 both in 2006 and in 2008 before the Scorpions were put to the sword 4-1 on their previous last visit in 2012.
During the recent campaign, Tom and his backroom staff have succeeded in galvanizing fans and Gambians to rally behind their national team and stick to the ideals of nationalism hence the zeal to qualify the country to its first ever Africa Cup of Nations. Thus, the Belgian is further honoured to be in the annals of Gambian football history as his game with Algeria at home was the highest stadium attendance with a capacity crowd of 40,000 spectators.
Scorpions played five matches under him, where they won one representing a winning percentage of 20; drew three, which represents 60% and lost one, equaling to 20% with 6 points in total. The team recorded 80% of non-match loses. The team scored 6 goals and conceded 5. This is opposed to previous Scorpions campaign on the continent where the team for the previous 21 matches before his reign began won just 2, representing 9.5%, drew 5, equaling to 25%, and lost 14 matches representing 65.5%. During that period, the team also scored 15 goals and conceded 36 with, representing a negative goal difference of 21.
Reporting by Bakary B. Baldeh & Editing by Baboucarr Camara
