Togo will not play at the African Cup

Togo is in mourning, the football world is in shock – but the ball is rolling. Five months before the start of the World Cup in South Africa has triggered the deadly terrorist attack on the Togolese national football team worldwide horror.

Under the impression of the carnage, with three dead delegation members in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda starts on Sunday evening, but the 27th African Nations Cup – without the Togo players dissolved in tears.

With one foot down, Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo ordered the team after the devastating attack on the separatist team bus home. “The crew must depart and return at once to Togo. When players or other persons to stand during the opening ceremony under the flag of Togo, they do not represent our country,” said Houngbo and called for a three-day national mourning.

The team continued the leader, above the mouth. Given the traumatic events near the border had the players with a heavy heart, but almost unanimously decided to take up yet.

Despite the horror, the Assimiou Toure described by the Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in a sentence: “I was scared to death, I could still go under my seat and pray.” In the hail of bullets assistant coach Abolo Amelete died, the spokesman Stanislas Ocloo and a bus driver. Seven people were injured.

Togo’s army, helped Team

Defender Toure was like all his teammates Giant lucky to escape with their lives. Jumped as the rebels of the Front for the Liberation of the Cabinda enclave (FLEC) from their hideouts with machine guns and opened fire, huddled for several minutes, the 22-year-old under his seat

“The first bus they have completely riddled. Perhaps the thought that we were sitting in there. But there was only the luggage,” said Toure: “Thank God I was sitting back in the penultimate row. They have mainly to the anterior part fired. If the army had not existed, we would all now no longer alive. ”

Opening with silence

And the nightmare continues: The FLEC rebels who profess to act, announced new attacks on the Africa Cup. “It will go on. Anything is possible,” said the rebel leader Rodrigues Mingas. “This nation is at war, because Issa Hayatou (President of the African Fußball-Verbandes/Anm.’s Note) to insist on his position. The attack could have hit anyone.”

Nevertheless, the show must go on. On Sunday evening Angola met in the opening game of Mali. In a moment of silence for the victims was thought previously, the Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos had a tournament before 50,000 spectators in the capital Luanda, opened in the “Stadium of November 11 and the attack as” terrorist act “condemned.

The CAF had earlier claims, the tournament after the “act of barbarism” (Togo coach Hubert Velud) do not unsubscribe, unambiguous issued an immediate rejection. The Group B with three teams (Ghana, Ivory Coast played, Burkina Faso).

Blatter familiar with South Africa

The FIFA World Cup host country South Africa, and asserted that the attack is not tangent to the World Cup. “I’m still full confidence in Africa and I am sure that the continent is able to organize a World Cup,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

The South Africans responded calmly. “We are one hundred percent ready to host the tournament. Speculation that the incident in Angola has implications for the World Cup, I reject decision,” said President Jacob Zuma. “The attack is shocking and unacceptable to us, but it should be an incentive to eradicate the terrorism.”

Angola guarantees safety

For the Africa Cup (until January 31) Angola, meanwhile, ensures the safety of all participants. The total provision would drastically tightened after the incident, “said Sports Minister Goncalves Muandumba:

“We have doubled our efforts. We guarantee to take the necessary measures to ensure protection and integrity of all teams, fans, coaches and tourists.”