The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has fined The Gambia Football Federation $100,000 over its treatment of the Gabon football team at the Banjul International Airport. 

Last month the Gabon Gabonese delegation had complained to CAF that they were forced to spend several hours sleeping on the airport floor as they were not allowed to leave.

However the Gambian officials insisted that the Gabonese delegation failed to produce the relevant paperwork for negative Covid-19 tests and also refused to undergo swabs on arrival.

CAF launched an investigation into the incident and its disciplinary board found that the Gambian federation violated the fair play rules. 

“The Gambian Federation did not comply to the loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship values and rules of Fair Play concerning the reception of the Gabonese Delegation,” Caf said in a statement. 

“The Disciplinary Board decided to impose upon the Gambian federation a fine of 100,000 USD (One Hundred Thousand US Dollars) of which 50,000 USD (Fifty Thousand US Dollars) are suspended on the condition that the federation is not found guilty of a similar offense within a period of twenty-four (24) months.”

Gabon football star Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was also fined $10,000 

for his social media posts about the airport incident.

“Aubameyang has publicly published offensive and degrading material that undermines the honour and image of the Confederation of African Football,” CAF said. 

The GFF say they will appeal claiming that the Gabon Football Federation did not inform them of the team’s travel plans and that there had been an issue over Covid-19.

Gambia’s victory in the second leg of the African Cup of Nations qualifying match was overshadowed by the airport controversy.