Togo Banned From Next Two Africa Cups Of Nations

[marshbags]

Togo banned from next two Africa Cups of Nations

The attack on the Togo team bus has overshadowed the tournament

Togo have been banned from the next two Africa Cup of Nations following their withdrawal from this year's tournament.

The Confederation of African football (Caf) also fined the Hawks $50,000 for quitting the competition in the wake of a gun attack on the team bus in Angola.

Two members of their delegation were killed in the ambush, which occurred on 8 February, two days before the start of the tournament.

The Togo government is furious over the decision, threatening legal action.

"This is a surprise decision and it means that people (Caf) have no consideration for the lives of other human beings," Togo Interior Minister Pascal Bodjona told BBC Sport.

"This is insulting to the family of those who lost their lives and those traumatised because of the attack.

"We had two people dead and others suffered so if those people at Caf had any consideration for others I don't think at this time this is a reasonable decision.

"We are awaiting the official notification and we are going to take legal action to resolve the matter."

World football governing body Fifa declined to comment on the ban.

A statement from Caf read: "The executive committee has banned Togo from the next two African Nations Cup and fined the Togo FA 50,000 U.S. dollars."

A Togolese assistant coach and a press officer died following the ambush on their bus in the northern Angolan province of Cabinda on 8 January, prompting the government to recall the team for three days of mourning.

The Hawks initially wanted to compete in Group B with Ivory Coast, Ghana and Burkina Faso, but quit on 10 January - the tournament's start date - on 10 January on their national government's orders.

But African football's governing body says the decision to pull the team out amounted to governmental interference in the sport.

"The players publicly expressed their willingness to return to the Nations Cup to compete. But the Togo government decided to call back their national team," Caf explained in its statement.

"The decision by political authorities contravenes Caf and African Nations Cup regulations."

Togo midfielder Thomas Dossevi, who was on the bus when it came under fire minutes after it crossed the Angolan border from Pointe Noire, Congo, said Togo should appeal against the ban.

"We are a group of footballers who came under fire and now we can't play football any more. They are crushing us," Dossevi said.

"Togo should appeal the suspension. When we said we were going home for a three-day mourning they said they were with us in this ordeal and now they punish us."

Meanwhile, the families of the assistant coach and the press officer were taking legal action against the Caf and the Angolan state, their lawyer said.

"We are taking legal action because our compatriots were killed because of the mistakes of the Confederation of African Football (and) its president Mr Issa Hayatou," lawyer Alexis Aquereburu said.

"(The legal claim is) also against the Angolan state for putting in danger the life of our compatriots by organising this African Nations Cup in a war zone."

The armed wing of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), embroiled in a decades-long separatist struggle, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The FLEC has fought a 30-year war against Angola's government for independence.

One grievance is that Cabindans see little of the money from oil that comes from their land.

-- BBC 30-01-10

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marshbags

[thaimiller]

Ridiculous decision, surely FIFA must get involved in this one.

[salty]

In other words its Togo's fault for having been ambushed in a gun attack. Sounds like the "highway code" in a country we all know.

[Devil]

Unbelievable decision! as a previous poster said FIFA need to pull their weight on this one.

[marshbags]

I saw it on the late BBC news last night and to say I was shocked and disturbed by their insensitivity and lack of fair play is an understatement.

I posted the article for anyone not already aware of this decision and ruling and as TM says let us hope FIFA over rule it and give them a deserved lecture on the offensive nature it has on the footbaling world.

On this afternoons news edition it said that FIFA would be looking into it.

<deleted> How could they do this...was my immediate reaction.

marshbags

Apologies for posting it on the general forum by error, should anyone have read it on there.

[rijit]

How could they even consider banning them, Unbelievable. surely they need help and understanding at such an awful time, the African f.a have made themselves look totally ridiculous. they are pathetic. Almost beyond words.

[rijit]

An email address to complain about the decision

info[at]cafonline[dot]com

i tried cutting and pasting the above it didnt work

so heres the link for the contact page

http://www.cafonline.com/contact.htm

[nev]

Shocking!!

I reckon they should be invited to play in the european championship comming up to show them some compasion,something lacking in africa.

[Jimjim]

As Adebayor said, it's insulting.

[StevieH]

quite simply the worst and most shameful decision in football for some time. fifa has a chance to gain some real goodwill here by overruling it. ludicrous.

[RickBradford]

Throw all the African teams out of the World Cup and move the tournament to Australia/NZ.

[carmine]

Isn't FIFA deafening by their silence on the one, or have i missed something.

Surely this is Blatter's big oppotunity to show us he's not the prick most people think he is?

[ballpoint]

Isn't FIFA deafening by their silence on the one, or have i missed something.

Surely this is Blatter's big oppotunity to show us he's not the prick most people think he is?

Trouble is, he really is the prick most people think he is.

[Jockstar]

Isn't FIFA deafening by their silence on the one, or have i missed something.

Surely this is Blatter's big oppotunity to show us he's not the prick most people think he is?

Trouble is, he really is the prick most people think he is.

Have to agree. Bloody waste of space.

[salty]

Isn't FIFA deafening by their silence on the one, or have i missed something.

Surely this is Blatter's big oppotunity to show us he's not the prick most people think he is?

Perhaps the number of African votes are not numerous enough to count.

[MiG16]

....... the World Cup and move the tournament to Australia/NZ.

I second that part

[wales01]

There are two issues i do not understand..

1) Who made the decision for the team to drive from DRC to Angola, instead of flying?

2) What are CAF thinking?

[marshbags]

BBC Sport

Page last updated at 10:36 GMT, Friday, 12 February 2010

Togo appeal to CAS over Africa Cup of Nations ban

By Ebow Godwin

BBC Sport, Lome

The decision to ban Togo sparked protests on the streets of Lome

Togo's football authorities have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their ban from the next two Africa Cups of Nations.

The ban was imposed after Togo pulled out of the recent tournament in Angola.

Their withdrawal came in the wake of the fatal gun attack in which two members of the Togo party were killed.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) say the Togolese Prime Minister's insistence that the team came home amounted to 'government interference'.

The head of the interim committee running Togolese football, General Seyi Memene, said that a panel of lawyers had been appointed to deal with the case - headed by the president of the Togolese Bar Association.

Two members of the Togolese party were killed in the attack

He said the suspension imposed by Caf should be put on hold whilst the case is heard - although that has not yet been confirmed by either the court or the confederation.

General Memene is also a vice-president of Caf but he denied that there was any conflict of interest in his position.

"First of all I am Togolese, so I pray to God that this sanction is lifted," he said.

General Memene was appointed by football's world governing body Fifa in January to try and resolve the disputes which have divided the Togo Football Federation.

When they imposed the two tournament ban, Caf said the Togo players had wanted to continue playing in Angola, but were forced to return by their country's government.

-- BBC 12-02-10

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