‘Three dead’ after gun attack on Togo football team
The death toll from an attack on Togo’s football team as they travelled in Angola has risen from one to three, reports say. (Photo: Emmanuel Adebayor, (right), escaped injury but was visibly shocked)
The team bus driver was killed in Friday’s attack, with the deaths of the assistant coach and a spokesman announced a day later.
Two players were among nine people injured in the attack as the team headed to the Africa Cup of Nations.
The team withdrew from the competition, which is due to start on Sunday.
The attack happened in Angola’s northern province of Cabinda on Friday.
Goalkeeper Kossi Agassa, who plays for French club Istres, told France-Info radio that the assistant coach and a spokesperson had died.
CABINDA
- Oil-rich province cut off from the rest of Angola by DR Congo
- Flec rebels fought for region’s independence
- Rebels laid down arms in 2006 but some unrest continues
- Angola had dismissed concerns about staging games there
Among the nine people injured were two players, an assistant manager, physio, goalkeeping coach and another coach.
The attackers machine-gunned the vehicle after it crossed from the Republic of Congo into Angola’s oil-rich territory of Cabinda.
Rebels who have been fighting for the region’s independence later said they had carried out the attack.
The Angolan government called the incident an “act of terrorism”.
Togo had been due to play their first cup game in Cabinda on Monday, but will now fly home on the presidential plane which is being sent to collect them.
The Ghanaian team was also said to be considering pulling out.
The BBC sports correspondent says Togo’s decision to withdraw is a crushing blow for the Angolan hosts, who hoped the tournament would show how far their country had progressed since the end of the civil war.
The tournament’s organisers, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said the team should have travelled by air rather than road.
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