Gambia edged Chad 1-0 on Wednesday in their first step toward reaching the 2023 finals.

The Scorpions left it late in Yaounde with United Arab Emirates-based forward Steve Trawally scoring in the 89th minute to win the preliminary round first leg.  

Gambia made a spectacular Cup of Nations debut two months ago, beating Mauritania, Tunisia and Guinea before losing a last-eight clash with hosts Cameroon.

Before tackling Chad, Belgium-born Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet warned his players to avoid become “one-tournament wonders”.

“We want to qualify for the 2023 and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup,” said the coach who has guided national teams in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.  

He cited the example of Madagascar, newcomers who stunned Nigeria when reaching the 2019 Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Egypt only to miss out on the latest edition.

Chad hosted Gambia in the Cameroon capital because the landlocked central African does not have a stadium that meets international standards.

Gambia are also affected by a Confederation of African Football (CAF) clampdown on venues with sub-standard pitches, dressing rooms or facilities and will stage the return match on Tuesday (29 March) in Morocco.