Togo Government order players home from Angola after they claim they want to stay

By Duncan Mackay

January 10 – Togo’s players will not play in the Africa Cup of Nation in Angola after the country’s Government ordered them home following a deadly attack on the team bus, although players had claimed they wanted to stay and play.

Togo Government Minister Pascal Bodjona confirmed that the team would return home.

Bodjona, who is the Minister of State for Territorial Administration, Decentralisation and Local Collectivities, claimed it would be inappropriate for the team tos stay.

He said: ”The Government is maintaining its decision to call the team back home.”

Late last night Togo’s players, including Manchester City’s £25 million striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who is his country’s captain, had held a meeting and claimed that they said they wanted to stay in Angola.

But Adebayor said the team would accept the Government’s advice.

He said: ”This Friday at 1430, we were all dead on that bus.

“We sent our last messages to our families.

“We called our family to say our last words.

“I told myself: ‘If you’re still there on the ground in Angola, why not [play]?’

“The authorities decided we should return [home], so we will return.”

Adebayor claimed that Ivory Coast, Ghana and Burkina Faso had all offered to pull-out of the tournament in solidarity with but their offer had been rejected by Togo’s players.

He said: ”They expressed their support by saying they were ready to leave the competition if we did.

“[But] at the end of the day, we realised that they were ready to continue.

“It is still a continent where a World Cup will take place in South Africa.

“If we speak of the dead, the competition should have been cancelled.

“We’re going back and we wish good luck to those who will remain, especially to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

“What I have told their leaders is that they may be attacked at any time in Cabinda.

“I hope they will be cautious.”

Earlier, Dossevi had said the players wanted to stay in honour of those killed.

He said: ”In memory of the dead, the national team has decided to play in the African Nations Cup.”

But Bodjona said: ”The best thing to do is not to stay.

“People are dead.

“The goalkeeper [Kodjovi] Obilale is in intensive care.”

Earlier, a Government spokesman had told Togo’s national news agency that it was withdrawing the team as a matter of “principle” after the ambush by gunmen left an assistant coach and the squad’s communication officer dead.

Dossevi had said the players wanted to stay in Angola to honour the three people who were killed when rebels fired on their bus.

“We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men,” said Dossevi.

“It was a decision taken nearly unanimously by the team which met during the night after having been reassured by the Angolan authorities.”

Alaixys Romao also said the decision had been unanimous.

“We have just had a meeting of the whole delegation and we will be on the pitch on Monday to face Ghana,” he said.

“People have died for the Africa Cup of Nations, others have been injured.

“We can’t let them down and leave like cowards.

“If we stay here it’s for them, but also not to give any satisfaction to the rebels.

“Our Government does not necessarily agree with us but we are all determined to play in this competition.”

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