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Saintfiet recounted the moment the earthquake struck, saying, "At first, I heard a lot of noise and thought it was someone knocking on my door."
In a harrowing account of surviving the devastating earthquake that rocked Morocco, Gambia's national football team coach, Tom Saintfiet, described the terrifying experience that left him and his team in shock.
Saintfiet and his squad were in Marrakesh for a crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo when the earthquake struck.
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The earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.8, resulted in over 820 casualties, according to the country's interior ministry.
It sent shockwaves through Marrakesh and other cities, causing people to flee into the streets.
Saintfiet recounted the moment the earthquake struck, saying, "At first, I heard a lot of noise and thought it was someone knocking on my door."
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Mugabi started for Uganda in the 2-0 win over Niger in Marrakech and was one of the Cranes players waiting to connect back to his club by the time of the earthquake.
"I thought that a plane had crashed into the hotel because we're close to the airport, but a second or two later, I knew it was an earthquake."
He described the earthquake as a shocking and terrible experience. "It seems it was only 30 seconds, but it felt endless.”
“It was really scary. The walls were really shaking, and things were falling down from the ceiling and the walls. I never in my life saw a building moving like that."
Following the quake, Saintfiet immediately checked on his team members to ensure their safety.
They evacuated the hotel and gathered in the open air near the pool, as they were told they couldn't return to their rooms.
"It was very scary. We heard ambulances all night and kept checking the news. It's a terrible experience for us but most of all for all the casualties who lost their lives and the people of Morocco," he added, expressing his sympathy for the victims and the Moroccan people.
Despite the traumatic experience, Sunday's qualifier against Congo will proceed.
This match, initially scheduled to take place in The Gambia's stadium, was relocated to Marrakesh due to concerns about the stadium's suitability for international matches.
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Saintfiet, however, acknowledged that some players, particularly those who had previously experienced an earthquake in February that claimed the life of former Newcastle player Christian Atsu, were not mentally prepared for the game.
"I know that several players don't want to play the game tomorrow," he said. "We are sportsmen and want to qualify and to be fair, but a lot of players, their mindset is totally not on football."
He questioned whether it was wise to proceed with the match given the high number of casualties in the city.
"If there are so many casualties in this city, is it wise to let us play football? Maybe we could play in October?"
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As a country that does not have any stadium that meets the minimum standards to host an AFCON Qualifiers match, what are you going to do at the AFCON? What business do you have there?
Saintfiet emphasized that, at this moment, football was not the primary focus. Instead, the welfare of the players and the people in Morocco took precedence.
Congo's coach, Paul Put, also expressed the shock his players were experiencing. "We are OK but still in shock. Mentally it's difficult to keep up the concentration.”
“We had to sleep outside, near the swimming pool. It was very scary and even now a complicated situation for the players," he said.
CAF has postponed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Morocco and Liberia after a deadly earthquake hit the North African nation on Friday night.
Morocco was set to play Liberia in the final qualifier on Saturday but the match will now be played at a future date.
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