The Gambia Sports ministry has denied reports that the Gabon football team was detained on arrival. The ministry said the team refused to follow the country’s coronavirus protocols. 

The ministry’s reaction was made after Gabon and Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took to social media to complain about their treatment by the Gambian authorities who held them for six  hours at the Banjul International airport. 

“We will issue a press release. But it has to do with the Gabonese team refusal to adhere to our COVID-19 regulations, as well as that of CAF upon their arrival at the airport around 12am.

“The information we got so far is that the team refused to surrender their COVID-19 test certificates to the public health officers posted at the airport and refused to be tested before they will be allowed into the country,” Minister of Youth and Sports Bakary Badjie said.

The Gabon football team is in the country for the second leg of the AFCON qualifiers and will face The Scorpions today at the Independence stadium.

Gabon are currently top of their qualification group having won two and drawn one of their games so far, but Gambia are just three points behind them in second place.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba