Togo national team bus comes under gunfire in Angola

[United-Clowgon]

EDIT: They have now withdrawn from the tournament. BBC NEWS SOURCE

TWO members of the Togo football squad have died after their team bus was ambushed by gunman, say reports.

The dead pair - who have not been named - were wounded in yesterday's shooting.
The coach driver was also killed.
Players from the Togo squad took the decision to pull out of the African Nations Cup following the gun attack, it was reported today.
Manchester City ace Emmanuel Adebayor told of his terror last night after cowering on the coach after gunman fired machine guns at it.
The horrified Manchester City striker, 25, said after the attack: "They shot at us for 30 minutes - all we could do was pray to God we'd live."

The squad was ambushed by rebels on their way from their Congo training ground to their African Nations Cup base in host country Angola.
Ambushed .. Adebayor stands behind Villa's Salifou in team picture

Adebayor said: "We've seen one of our team-mates have a bullet in his body, who is crying, who is losing consciousness. We've seen death.
"It's one of the worst things I have ever been through. It was horrific.
"I never thought I'd ever live through an experience like that. All we had to do was to pray to God to save you. I think that is what he has done quite well.
"I don't know if I am the target or not, all I know is that my team - my country - was the target. Why, I don't know."
Goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, 25, and defender Serge Akakpo, 22, were wounded along with an assistant manager, a doctor and a journalist.
Escape ... Salifou

Aston Villa's Moustapha Salifou, 26, was also on the team bus. He was quoted as saying: "I'm OK but extremely shocked and very upset."
Adebayor had jetted out to join his homeland team for the tournament, which starts tomorrow.
The attack fuelled security fears over this summer's World Cup in South Africa. The coach was in a convoy under heavy police escort through the flashpoint northern territory of Cabinda.
Adebayor said he was still "in shock" and "living in a dream".
He said: "I think without the security I wouldn't be here to talking to you, you'd be talking to my dead body.
"The thing we don't understand is why. It's not just one or two guys shooting on the bus.
"We were in the middle of that for 30 minutes. I'm not talking five minutes.
"Our bus had been stopped and there was shooting on the bus for 30 minutes. If you can imagine the silence on the bus... it was one of the worst experiences I've had in my life and I hope it is the last."
Adebayor said that after the attack the players were ordered off the bus as the driver was dead.
Rebels ... fighting bloody war

He went on: "He had passed away. We didn't have anyone to drive the bus.
"We had seven-to-eight 4x4s come. We had to get out of the bus and that's where the shooting was coming from. We didn't want to get off."
The rebels bungled by first opening fire on a coach in front carrying the team's bags - which prevented a massacre. Midfielder Richmond Forson, 29, said: "That's what saved us.
"Then they fired on our driver and those who were in front. The windscreen was shattered by the first bullets. It's disgusting to take bullets for a football match."
The rebels fled after a gun battle with cops. Players were in tears as they got off the coach.
Striker Thomas Dossevi, 30, who plays for French side Nantes, said from the hospital where the entire team was taken: "We were crying and thanking God. We were machine-gunned like dogs."
Adebayor said that after the attack "every one" of the trembling players called their loved ones. The star phoned his wife to say: "I'm fine."
Adebayor is calling a meeting to discuss whether the team should stay in Angola. Togo play Ghana on Monday.


Civil war ... where coach was attacked

ltbx2801796
40
1
0
/sol/
1
Enlarge

Civil war ... where coach was attacked




1 of 1




The £25million star said: "I think a lot of players want to leave, I don't think they want to be at this tournament any more as they have seen their death already.
"Most of the players want to go back to their family. No one can sleep after what they have seen. We are still in shock.
"If the security is not sure then we will be leaving. I don't think they will be ready to give their life.
"We will take a decision that we think is good for our career, our life and our family."
Midfielder Alaixys Romao, 25, of Swiss side Grenoble, added: "No one wants to play. We're not capable of it."
The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda claimed responsibility.
Last night Togolese football federation vice president Gabriel Ameyi said the players should not have made their journey on coaches.

[Black_Apalachi]

Wow, so as well as the following;

Goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, 25, and defender Serge Akakpo, 22, were wounded along with an assistant manager, a doctor and a journalist.

...the driver PLUES two players died?

[United-Clowgon]

Wow, so as well as the following;

Goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, 25, and defender Serge Akakpo, 22, were wounded along with an assistant manager, a doctor and a journalist.

...the driver PLUES two players died?

Yep. I think bullet proof coaches is needed- If traveled on - to Countries like these.

[Jack.Lfc]

Do you think Adebayor ran the full length of the bus to celebrate infront of the gunners?
:badgrin::badgrin:

[Geraint]

It's held in January because they say the temperature in summer is too much in some places but they played some world cup qualifiers in June and July so it's pretty much. It happens every 2 years, just happens to be even numbers, don't know why they can't change that to odd though.

[StefanWolves]

Exactly. Two years between the World cup & European cup, why not have it in the middle?

[Pix]

thats disgusting

[Black_Apalachi]

Do you think Adebayor ran the full length of the bus to celebrate infront of the gunners?
:badgrin::badgrin:

******* LOL



btw are there no airports in that country?
i'd fell well stupid being as rich as the likes of Aderbayor and going to a poor country like that :/

[Andys]

They do things differently over there. The African Cup of Nations is the only tournament that STARTS with a shoot out.

[AlexOC]

They do things differently over there. The African Cup of Nations is the only tournament that STARTS with a shoot out.

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap