Togo have withdrawn from the Africa Cup of Nations following the gun attack on the team bus that killed one player, two staff members and the driver yesterday as it crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo into the Angolan enclave of Cabinda.
The Togo goalkeeper, Kossi Agassa, who plays for the French club Istres, told France-Info radio today that the Togo assistant coach Abalo Ametele and press officer Stan Ocloo had died as well as the driver, while the striker Jonathan Ayite confirmed that reserve-team goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale had died of his injuries. Eight other people also suffered injuries in the ambush.
Ayite told French radio station RMC: “He [Obilale] is dead and even if you bring the president and even [US president Barack] Obama himself, we’re leaving immediately, we’re going back home. Ghana and the Ivory Coast are in solidarity with us.”
The coach of Obilale’s club – French amateur side Pontivy – Alain Le Dour added on L’Equipe: “We have been called to give us this news but we have not yet had it in an official manner. It is very difficult to have more precise information. Yesterday we didn’t know where he took a bullet. We were told that he was successfully operated on and we talked about a transfer to South Africa. Officially we don’t know any more.”
Togo’s midfielder Alaixys Romao confirmed the players were at the airport waiting to return home, and were also encouraging other teams to pull out of the competition. “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.” Togo were due to kick off their campaign against Ghana on Monday.
The Togo football federation’s head of communication later suggested that the team had not withdrawn, however, claiming it would consult with the players before deciding whether to pull out. “We are going now to see and talk to the players and then make a decision whether or not we take part in the competition,” said Messan Attelou.
Manchester City confirmed their striker Emmanuel Adebayor – the Togo captain – was returning home, with a club statement declaring: “Togo has pulled out of the Africa Nations Cup after their team bus came under gunfire in Angola. City star Emmanuel Adebayor was unharmed in the ambush and he and his team-mates met this morning before deciding that they wished to pull out of the tournament. Their first game in the tournament had been scheduled to take place on Monday against Ghana, but they are now heading home to their families.
“The club is in regular contact with Emmanuel, his advisors and the English Football Association. It has been made clear by manager Roberto Mancini and senior officials that Emmanuel will now be given as much time as he needs to recover from the horrific attack.”
Adebayor had earlier admitted in the aftermath of the attack that many of the squad’s players wanted to go home. “I think a lot of players want to leave. I don’t think they want to be at this tournament any more because they have seen their death already,” he said. “Most of the players want to go back to their family. No one can sleep after what they have seen. They have seen one of their team-mates have a bullet in his body, who is crying, who is losing consciousness and everything.”
Organisers have so far insisted the tournament will go ahead though Togo’s coach, Hubert Velud, claimed the authorities should seriously consider whether to call off the whole tournament, although the Angolan authorities maintain that their country is committed to hosting a secure competition and said they would step up security.
“We can at least pose ourselves that question,” Velud said. “It’s an act of barbarism while we are here to celebrate African football. We left the hospital a short time ago to come to the centre for the teams in the competition. We stayed in the hospital a long time so that we could be very united.
“In these situations you become a bit paranoid, you doubt everything. We don’t feel that the authorities are taking this very seriously. I don’t mean that they want to hush up the matter, but almost.”
Ivory Coast said they had no plans so far to quit the tournament. “For the moment, there is no decision to withdraw. It is a competition that has been planned by the Confederation of African Football and it will go ahead,” said Anzouan Kacou, of the organising committee of the Ivorian Football Federation.
Kacou said the organisers were speaking to teams due to play in Angola’s Cabinda region – Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Burkina Faso. He made his comments before news that two members of the Togo delegation had died from wounds suffered in yesterday’s attack.
