Togo footballers shot in ambush

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Gunmen have opened fire with machine guns on a bus carrying Togo's football team to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, wounding several players.

Officials say the shooting occurred in the Angolan oil-rich territory of Cabinda, where rebels have been fighting for independence.

The Angolan government called the incident an "act of terrorism". There are reports of serious injuries.

Togo is due to play its first game in Cabinda on Monday.

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor was on the bus but is unhurt. In a statement, Manchester City said Adebayor had been "shaken by the terrible events" but was "unharmed".

Adebayor was not among those wounded The bus was travelling to Cabinda from the squad's training ground in the Republic of Congo when the shooting happened.

"This was an act of terrorism," Cabinda affairs minister Bento Bembe told Reuters news agency.

However Africa Cup of Nations officials described the attackers as armed robbers.

Togo striker Thomas Dossevi told France's RMC radio that several players were "in a bad state".

"We were machine-gunned, like dogs," he said. "At the border with Angola - machine-gunned! I don't know why. I thought it was some rebels. We were under the seats of the bus for 20 minutes, trying to get away from the bullets."

The identities of those injured - who also included team doctors - are not known.

Togo are due to play Ghana, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in their group matches. Their first game is against Ghana.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8449319.stm

[zolayes 14,489]

should never have gone there in the first place ,,,call the whole fucking thing off

[ZanSnake 1,211]

If they knew that Rebels were in that area, that is the fault of whoever chose the route to where they where originally fucking going.

[Laylabelle 9,296]

The Driver has died

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Shocking, absolutely shocking. They should cancel the tournament. Its an utter disgrace.

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

They should stop the tournament immediately.

[Badboy 1,526]

People doing this to make a political statement :huh:

[Steve 10,227]

Stop the tournament asap. No one deserves to lose there lives....

[Shane 2,275]

I think as a mark of respect Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria should pull out.

[gary gordon 1,777]

I think as a mark of respect Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria should pull out.

Respect aye? I think since they are terrorists, Adebayor should speak to his owners and tell them to tell there friends to cease fire...

Edited January 9, 2010 by gary gordon

[Steve 10,227]

Badly injured: Romanian club FC Vaslui confirmed their defender Serge Akakpo was shot in the attack

[Steve 10,227]

Africa Cup of Nations to go ahead despite Togo attack

The organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations say it will take place despite the attack on the Togolese football team in the host country, Angola.

"Our first priority is the safety of the players, but the tournament will go ahead," said a spokesman for the Confederation of African Football.

The driver of the team's bus was killed and at least two players were wounded when it came under fire on Friday.

Separatists in the enclave of Cabinda have said they carried out the attack.

CAF said the Togolese Football Federation had failed to inform them that the team was travelling overland from its training camp in Congo-Brazzaville, through a dangerous area with no security. The body expressed surprise that the team had not travelled by air.

The Togolese players will decide on Saturday whether to play in the tournament.

'Armed to the teeth'

The team's captain, Emmanuel Adebayor, who plays for the English club Manchester City, told the BBC that Africa's image had suffered a big blow in a year when it will host the World Cup.

"We keep repeating [that] Africa, we have to change our image if we want to be respected, and unfortunately that is not happening," he said.

His fellow striker, Thomas Dossevi, said the team bus had been surrounded by police vehicles, five minutes after entering Cabinda, when it was attacked.

"Everything looked fine and we came under heavy fire. Everyone scrambled under the seats trying to protect themselves," he said.

"We were machine-gunned like dogs... They were armed to the teeth."

Adebayor said the team was trapped on bus for about 30 minutes while the security forces fought off the attackers. The players and staff then had to flee the bus under fire to get into the vehicles sent to rescue them, he said.

"I'm still under shock," Adebayor said. "I was one of those who carried the injured players into the hospital - that is when I realised what was really going on. All the players, everyone was crying, calling their mums, crying on the phone, saying their last words because they thought they'd be dead."

The Manchester City striker also cast doubt on Togo's participation in the tournament next week, saying that if security was not improved the players would probably be leaving on Saturday.

"It is a football game and one of the biggest tournaments in Africa, but I don't think people are ready to give their lives," he said. "A lot of players want to leave. They have seen death and want to go back to their families."

A total of nine people, including defender Serge Akakpo and goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, were wounded in the attack. The other casualties were training, medical and administrative staff.

'Act of terrorism'

The separatist rebel Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (Flec), which has fought for independence for several decades but entered a ceasefire in 2006, later claimed responsibility for the attack.

"This operation is only the start of a series of targeted actions that will continue in all the territory of Cabinda," Flec secretary-general Rodrigues Mingas said.

The Angolan minister in charge of affairs in Cabinda, Antonio Bento Bembe, said the attack had been an "act of terrorism" and that the country would boost security for the Cup of Nations.

Angola had hoped the tournament, which runs from 10 to 31 January, would show how well it had recovered from decades of civil war

Football's world governing body, Fifa, said it had been deeply moved by the incident in Angola and offered its "utmost sympathy" to the Togo team.

Caf officials said they had not known that the Togolose team had decided to drive directly to Cabinda. They said they had expected the squad first to fly to the Angolan capital, Luanda, and from there to Cabinda.

BBC

Edited January 9, 2010 by Steve.

[Alee. 182]

Damn, Real Shame. Tournament should be cancelled.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Alee.

[Ray. 217]

Very shocking and agree that the tournament should be cancelled. Safety is paramount.

[Drogba11CFC 108]

Cancel the tournament.

[Badboy 1,526]

Respect aye? I think since they are terrorists, Adebayor should speak to his owners and tell them to tell there friends to cease fire...

What has it got to do with the man city owners ?

[Ray. 217]

Togo withdraw from Africa Cup of Nations

Africa Cup of Nations

Venue and dates: Angola, 10-31 January Coverage: Final and semi-finals live on BBC TV, BBC World Service and commentaries on BBC Sport website. Live commentary on opening match on BBC World Service and BBC Sport website

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stunned Togo players in disbelief after attack

Togo have pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations following a deadly gun attack on their team bus in Angola.

The coach driver was killed and two players were shot and injured in the attack in the northern province of Cabinda on Friday.

Organisers insist the tournament will go ahead but Togo's players met later on Friday to discuss returning home.

Team captain, and Manchester City striker, Emmanuel Adebayor said on Friday many players wanted to go home.

He told BBC Afrique: "It's a football game, it's one of the biggest tournaments in Africa and a lot of people would love to be in our position but I don't think anybody would be prepared to give their life.

You cannot sleep after what we have seen - one of your team-mates with bullets in his body in front of you, crying and losing consciousness

Emmanuel Adebayor

"If I am alive I can still play football tomorrow and in one year maybe even another Cup of Nations but I am not ready to pass away now.

The driver of the Togo team bus was killed in the incident, while nine others were injured including two players, an assistant manager, physio, goalkeeping coach and another coach.

Defender Serge Akakpo, who plays for Romanian club Vaslui, was hit by two bullets and lost a lot of blood in the attack in Angola's oil-rich territory of Cabinda, which is due to host seven matches.

Adebayor said the players were unsure whether Akakpo would survive at the time, but his club reported that his condition was stabilised and he underwent successful surgery.

Reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, who plays for French club GSI Pontivy, was also wounded, while several other players required hospital treatment and were later seen with bandages on legs, hands and faces.

"I don't think any of the players will be able to sleep after this," said Adebayor, who admitted they were all still in shock.

"You cannot sleep after what we have seen - one of your team-mates with bullets in his body in front of you, crying and losing consciousness. It is very difficult."

Togo were scheduled to play their first match in Cabinda against Ghana on Monday, with the tournament's opening match between hosts Angola and Mali on Sunday.

Ghana players have confirmed they are happy for the tournament to go ahead.

Souleymane Habuba, spokesman for organisers the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said the tournament would proceed despite the attack.

"Our great concern is for the players, but the championship goes ahead," said Habuba, who questioned why Togo had elected to travel by road rather than flying.

"CAF's regulations are clear: teams are required to fly rather than travel by bus," he added.

Football's world governing body Fifa has expressed its concern about the attack.

"Fifa and its president, Sepp Blatter, are deeply moved by today's incidents which affected Togo's national team, to whom they express their utmost sympathy," said a statement.

"Fifa is in touch with the African Football Confederation (CAF) and its president, Issa Hayatou, from which it expects a full report on the situation."

source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/8449611.stm

[Laylabelle 9,296]

Hull boss Phil Brown has led calls for Premier League players at the Africa Cup of Nations to return to the UK after the Togo bus came under gunfire.

The coach driver was killed in Friday's attack in Angola, while two Togo players were also shot and injured.

Hull's Gabon striker Daniel Cousin and Nigerian midfielder Seyi Olofinjana are among 31 Premier League players in Africa for the tournament.

And Brown told The Sun: "I have two players on duty and I want them home."

Defender Serge Akakpo and reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale were hit in the sustained attack while several other players required hospital treatment and were later seen with bandages on legs, hands and faces.

Togo captain and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who was on the coach but escapeed unharmed, says the team is considering whether to withdraw from the tournament, although organisers insist the competition, which begins on Sunday when host nation Angola play Mali, will go on.

But Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who does not have any players at the tournament, said: "It's frightening. It's worth considering calling the whole thing off. We can't just sit around and wait for the next shooting."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill expressed his shock at the incident but was relieved his midfielder Moustapha Salifou was not among the injured.

"The club have been in contact with him and he has reassured us that he is OK but he is extremely shocked and upset, which he would be in these circumstances."

Portsmouth have four players at the tournament and club spokesman Gary Double said they had sought reassurance from the English Football Association and world governing body Fifa about their players' security.

"Our players' safety is paramount and if that can't be guaranteed the players should be sent home," he said.

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor said Premier League clubs should not be able to dictate whether their players were sent home.

He told BBC Radio 5 live: "Bearing in mind what has happened, for English clubs to expect players to come home from any other team apart from Togo would be too far.

"It's a decision to be taken by the clubs but that could be in conflict with the African Confederation and Fifa and that is the dilemma of the day, not just in sport, but in many other issues regarding terrorism.

"Do we try to continue life as normally as possible in order to win on the day?

"We need to know the whole circumstances and have a proper inquiry, but you can understand clubs asking for players to come home after such an incident.

"Remember, the driver was killed and the players were under gunfire for half an hour. It doesn't get any more serious than that.

"Clubs release their players under Fifa regulations but they have every right to expect that the security issues and safety is going to be paramount and if that is not the case, they have a serious reason to withdraw them."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8449787.stm

Not only that but surley the family of the players are gana be worrying from now and until they're home.And the players in that matter knowing whats gone on and that someone in fact has died