Togo football team's bus fired on

[Hobo]

Togo football team's bus fired on

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Gunmen have fired on a bus carrying Togo's football team to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola wounding several players, competition officials say.

They say robbers shot at the bus in Congo, near the Angolan border. There are reports of serious injuries.

The Africa Cup of Nations is due to start on Sunday.

Togo's first game is to be played on Monday in the oil-rich territory of Cabinda, where rebels have been fighting for independence.

The identities of the wounded players are not known.

The Togolese team includes Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Aston Villa's Moustapha Saliphou.

Hopefully no one is seriously hurt or worse.

[IAceI]

Ade's fine.

Hopefully no one is too badly hurt so it effects the competition. The bus will have been full of doctors and physios and the like as well. I know it's quite a time away and different areas of the continent but you do fear for the World Cup.

[Summers]

Salifou is okay too. Rumoured to be two seriously injured,other small injuries and a dead driver is confirmed.

[Dynamite]

That's terrible to hear. I've always thought sports stars would be one of the likeliest targets for attacks like this because of their high profile and 'hate figure' status among rival fans. Sad that it has actually happened and hope the damage is as minimal as possible.

[Guest Raving Rich]

The most horrible thing about this is that this could all have been avoided if the African Confederation weren't so bloody ignorant and hellbent on causing maximum disruption to the European Season by refusing to move the African Nations' Cup to the Summer and maybe changing it to a once every leap year format like the European Nations' Cup. When that matter is arises, they constantly give the excuse "we refuse to accommodate the European Club season". Well what about accommodating the players who are participating in your tournament? Sure, it's an honor to play for your country, but this is a busy time of the year, especially with the transfer window open amongst other things, but if they don't want to host another World Cup after 2010, then they are going the right way about it.

I am glad that none of the players were killed in this attack and the vast majority of them haven't been hurt. I would also like to give my condolences to the friends and family of the bus driver who was killed in this avoidable tragedy.

[therockbox]

Why should African football disrupt their schedule because of European Leagues?

That being said, I don't think the timing of this tournament is the reason for the attack.

[Sam]

It's things like this that make me wish I knew a bit more about Africa and the things going on there as it seems such an amazing continent yet has so many problems. This was politically motivated though no? Something about rebel groups as the area where the match is being held is a contentious one. Which makes you wonder why hold matches there! Still a very sad story and I can totally understand why the Togo players just want to go home, I'm sure if someone killed my bus driver and injured my mates the last thing on my mind would be a football match.

[EddieG]

The most horrible thing about this is that this could all have been avoided if the African Confederation weren't so bloody ignorant and hellbent on causing maximum disruption to the European Season by refusing to move the African Nations' Cup to the Summer and maybe changing it to a once every leap year format like the European Nations' Cup. When that matter is arises, they constantly give the excuse "we refuse to accommodate the European Club season". Well what about accommodating the players who are participating in your tournament? Sure, it's an honor to play for your country, but this is a busy time of the year, especially with the transfer window open amongst other things, but if they don't want to host another World Cup after 2010, then they are going the right way about it.

I am glad that none of the players were killed in this attack and the vast majority of them haven't been hurt. I would also like to give my condolences to the friends and family of the bus driver who was killed in this avoidable tragedy.

So, if this tournament happened in the summer, it wouldn't have happened?

[Crybaby Bunting]

People forget that the reason that the tournament is held in winter is because it's the only time of the year when it's acceptable to play a football tournament. If you think it's hot now try playing in the Summer.

And no, don't tell me that that's contradictory advice given that the World Cup is in South Africa, South Africa is nowhere near the equator, it'll be the equivalent of playing in Spain: hot but not dangerously hot.

It's almost the opposite of Scandinavian football leagues, which can't play in the winter because it's too cold to physically play football.

[Blue Rosler]

Something about rebel groups as the area where the match is being held is a contentious one. Which makes you wonder why hold matches there!

Well, from my experiences in Honduras, it's a case of not disrupting their lives in fear of rebels. Why should they cancel the game? Yes, it's a very dangerous area (from what a teacher says who's lived all over lusophone Africa) but if they did not have a game there it's tantamount to saying that the rebels have won. And in countries like this where there are huge conflicts - football manages to unite people.

During the Honduran coup, whoever you supported in the election, whatever your views are - you support Honduras the football team. And maybe it's the same in Angola? Whatever you think about the rebels, you are Angolan, and support Angola.

[Sam]

Not being funny but surely it's Summer right now in Angola... it is in the Southern Hemisphere after all.

[stokeriño]

Yes. In fact it's only one country removed from South Africa, so you cannot drastically contrast the two for climate (although I think Angola is rainier). It is currently the summer there, while the World Cup will be held in the 'chilly' winter temperatures of 20 degrees C or so.

When I first heard that this tournament was being held in Angola I thought, with a fair measure of disbelief, "Angola? Really??". This is a country that is only eight years removed from a civil war ceasefire and the infrastructure is still virtually non-existent. This is exactly the kind of shit that would be expected to happen.

And holding some of the matches in Cabinda of all places... I think the official line is that they did that in order to "provide investment to the area" or some such balls. I imagine it's more likely that they have a very limited number of stadia in the country and had virtually no choice in the matter. Imagine if during 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland, the UK had hosted major international matches in Belfast. And removed almost all police/armed forces from the area. Absolutely asking for trouble.

And to think, Ukraine were very nearly chucked out of being co-hosts for Euro 2012 because they hadn't got their roads etc. up to scratch. Even taking into account the smaller size of the AFCON and the, shall we say, lower standards of the African continent in general, it remains astonishing to me that Angola even got to host the thing in the first place.

[IAceI]

The attack happened in a little area kind of separated from DR Congo and Angola did it? But owned by Angola but not quite attached to it? Either way, it's been a horrible event and Togo have pulled out of the competition.

I can't really blame them. In some ways it kind of admits defeat to the rebels but they must all be absolutely shocked at what's happened. So I guess Man City will have Adebayor back a little sooner than they expected.

[stokeriño]

Yeah. Cabinda is the enclave to the north, separated by the DRC (which is not a particularly fun and happy country either, but at least most of their shit happens on the eastern border with Rwanda).

[Johnny Latino Heat]

It's being reported over here that Togo has withdrawn from the competition. Can't say I blame them. What happened was just awful.

[Blue Rosler]

Cabinda is a ludicrously dangerous area too. I remember that from a module.

[Crybaby Bunting]

The reserve team goalkeeper is now reported as dead

And I thought there was only one or two life threatening injuries after the incident, this brings it to four :/

EDIT: Ghana reported as wanting to pull out too

Edited January 9, 2010 by The General

[IAceI]

People aren't sure but apparently Adebayor ran the length of the bus to celebrate in front of the gunners...

...

[The Kraig]

Just to confirm, the players said they WOULD play in memory of the dead, but the Togolese government have ordered them to leave, and the team have now agreed to go home.

This is extremely sad. The African Nations is my third favourite international competition (behind World Cup and the Euros), been watching for the last 4 or 5 tournaments. I'm so annoyed about this but I suppose there's nothing we can do.

[Syrjis]

People aren't sure but apparently Adebayor ran the length of the bus to celebrate in front of the gunners...

...

I lol'd.