ayusman16:

This is sad. O Africa! The land of milk and honey!

FBS:



But Togo midfielder Alaixys Romao told French paper L'Equipe: "We're talking to the other teams in our group to try to convince them to boycott too."

mukina2:

I do not think the other teams will.
Ivory Coast and Burkina wont, i wonder who will want to replace Togo.

I hope no one shoots my Yaya oh

this thing sef scary.

now Militants have carried their shooting practice to footballers.

[s]Some one said he wished they had shot adebayor's legs[/s] i read it on a football site few mins ago.

twinstaiye:

I want to believe South Africa will be too willing to replace Togo as most of their national team players are home based

FBS:

Now we know the them A.s.s.nal fans.

Togo withdraw from ANC as death toll increases
January 9, 2010
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Togo have withdrawn from the African Nations Cup in Angola following the machine gun attack on their team bus on Friday, with the death toll now understood to have risen to four.


GettyImages
Kodjovi Obilale (r) waving to fans after Togo's 2006 World Cup match against France
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The team bus was attacked by rebels after crossing the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo into the Angolan enclave of Cabinda ahead of the tournament.
There have been conflicting reports about the identity of those shot, but Togo assistant coach Abalo Amelete and a spokesperson, Stanislas Ocloo, have died along with goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale. The bus driver is also understood to have been killed in the attack.

Kodjo Samlan, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) official, confirmed that Ocloo and Amnalate had died. "Communications chief Stanislas Ocloo and assistant coach Abalo Amnalete died at four o'clock this morning," he said.

Striker Jonathan Ayite confirmed that Obilale, his team-mate at French amateur side Pontivy, had been killed. He was reported to have been taken to hospital in South Africa.

Ayite told French radio station RMC: "He (Obilale) is dead and even if you bring the president and even (Barack) Obama himself, we're leaving immediately, we're going back home. Ghana and the Ivory Coast are in solidarity with us.''

Defender Serge Akakpo, who plays his club football in Romania, was confirmed by his club last night as the other player shot in the attack.

Reports in France suggested early on Saturday that the players had taken the decision not to take part in the competition, which starts on Sunday, and midfielder Alaixys Romao later confirmed they would not take part.

"We're waiting for the plane to return to Lome," the Grenoble player told L'Equipe. "We're also talking to the other teams in our group to try to convince them to boycott the competition, too."

mukina2:

Serious this is not funny.

why did Caf chose a region with rebel wars near

The competition is not fun anymore, they should suspend or cancel it , till they sort out this or better still move it to another venue.

before this rebels try more shooting practice

I do not want anyone to shoot my Yaya or darling eboue

Togo's soccer team has decided to play in the African Nations Cup following a deadly attack on the squad, even though its government has withdrawn the side, French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported on Sunday.

L'Equipe quoted midfielder Alaixys Romao as saying the team had agreed to stay in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda for its first Group B match against Ghana on Monday.

"The decision was taken unanimously," said Romao, who plays for French club side Grenoble.

Rebels of the Cabindan separatist group FLEC sprayed the Togolese team bus with gunfire on Friday, killing the driver and wounding nine others. Two members of Togo's soccer delegation died on Saturday and one was undergoing surgery in South Africa.

A Togolese minister said on Saturday that the government had decided to pull the team out of the tournament, which starts on Sunday, because of "this dramatic situation."

But L'Equipe quoted Romao as saying: "We have just had a meeting of the whole delegation and we will be on the pitch on Monday to face Ghana."

Officials of the team and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) were not immediately available for comment.

However, Manchester City said on their website (www.mcfc.co.uk) that their striker Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo's captain, was returning home.

"People have died for the African Nations Cup, others have been injured. We can't let them down and leave like cowards," said Romao.
"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 this competition."

Meanwhile, Hull City boss Phil Brown has put his foot in it again by suggesting the incident in the war-torn Cabinda region of Angola should be a 'red flag' for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

To try and compare the two regions is ridiculous and, quite frankly, highly embarrassing for Brown.

rasputinn:

I think I read it somewhere that one Cabinda rebel was seen loitering around Yaya's hotel room

Togo players unanimously decide to continue in African Cup of Nations

Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor has told French radio his team will return home from the Africa Cup of Nations following advice from their government.

Although the team initially wanted to leave the tournament after a gun attack on the team killed three people, they then said they would stay on in Angola.

But Togo Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo insisted the team leave the country for security reasons.

Tournament organisers have said the event will still go ahead as planned.