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Togo: Soccer Team Suspended for Two Years

30 January 2010

Togo has been suspended from the Africa Cup of Nations for the next two years following its withdrawal from the tournament earlier this month.

Togo pulled out of the Nations Cup after the team's bus was attacked by rebels from the northern Angolan enclave of Cabinda, killing three people, including an assistant coach and press officer. The driver was also killed.

In its ruling, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) also fined the team US$50,000.

Coach Hubert Velud called the CAF ruling "a final blow" to the team, according to a statement released by Togo's government.

"Apart from the coaches and the players, it is the people as a whole who are going to be penalized," the statement said.

Tagged: Soccer, Sport, Togo, West Africa

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Comments 1 to 3 of 3 Post a comment

  • whojahbless12
    Jan 31 2010, 04:02
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    Gud day, my name is whojahbless.My view on dis is dat it is not right 2 suspend TOGO Nation team and 4 them 2 pay $50,000usd.It's just dat they were afraid of being attacked again.I suggest dat CAF should find out dos perpetrators.

  • Jaarraa
    Jan 31 2010, 05:49
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    Oh! My God! What supension?? Am I hearing this actually or dreaming it? Hell!!! Do these Monisters and Morons who shelled themselves under un umbrella of CAF/FIFA got any sense of humanity? Do they care about a human life? What is wrong with them anyway? What if Joseph Blatter of FIFA has died in that attack? Won't theu mourn? Isn't it inhuman people to suspend the country on mourn for those who died in that attack? I can call them noone, but an evil in human face, unconcerning and selfish and self looking group. Shame on FIFA/CAF!!!!

  • Omugabe
    Jan 31 2010, 09:57
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    This decision to kill off Togo team members and then suspend the team from the African Cup is a travesty, A BIG FAT JOKE!

    Let's all have a big laugh: Ha ha ha!

    What an insult to the dead Togolese and their grieving loved ones?

    If anything it is the Angolan team that should be suspended, and should have to pay reparation to the Togo team, for NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE SECURITY for visiting teams, and for ACTUALLY GETTING TOGO TEAMMATES KILLED.

    This devilishly INSENSITIVE and foolish, foolish decision by the dolts running CAF MUST be reversed promptly.

    This decision is so eurocentric, and shows that some foolish Africans have acquired the heartlessness of the evil Europeans in running these kinds of enterprises. This shameless decision by the dolts at CAF is UN-AFRICAN and MUST be reversed!