The match between Congo and Gambia in the African Cup of Nations qualifying tournament will take place in Marrakech tomorrow, Sunday, despite the devastating earthquake in the Moroccan city that resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people and injured hundreds on Friday night. Congolese and Gambian players spent the night sleeping by the swimming pools inside their hotel after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the Atlas Mountains and damaged buildings in Marrakech, marking the strongest earthquake in Morocco in over six decades.
The coaches of both teams stated that "the players are psychologically shocked by this event, but they have been informed that they must go on and play the match." The match tomorrow, in Group 7 between Gambia and Congo, is taking place in Marrakech because Gambia, as the host country, lacks a suitable venue for international matches.
Gambia's coach, Tom Saintfiet, told Reuters: "We were informed that our match on Sunday must take place. It is strange that Morocco's match gets postponed and ours does not." He added, "We have been out of (the rooms) for about 13-14 hours now," and continued, "The hotel has been damaged, but we hope to get new rooms on the ground floor. However, we believe it would be better to postpone this match because the players' mood is low and everyone feels a bit scared."
Congo's coach, Paul Put, told Reuters: "We are fine, but we are still in shock. It is difficult to maintain our mental focus. We dozed off near the swimming pool. It was frightening. The situation is complicated for the players at the moment."
