Gambia’s players yesterday refused to show up for a farewell training session at the national stadium in Banjul over unpaid bonuses.

The bonuses relate to the team’s qualification for the AFCON tournament, in which the players were promised 15,000 dollars each.

But after officials failed to pay the players, they chose the final day of preparations to go on strike, leaving thousands fans who showed up to bid them farewell, stranded at the stadium.

Head coach of the Gambia national team, Tom Saintfiet engaged the fans alongside his technical team members but the fans expressed their displeasure, calling on authorities to pay the players.

Gambia is in a tough group C alongside defending champions Senegal, 5-time winners Cameroon and West African rivals Guinea.