Tweet
The Togo national team bus has been machine-gunned by Angolan rebels on the Congolese border ahead of the African Cup of Nations.
Two players are reported to be injured and a Togolese sports ministry spokesman in Lome said that the bus driver had been killed in the attack.
The Sparrow Hawks are in the country ahead of the African tournament, which gets under way on Sunday.
"I am fine but several players are in a bad way," FC Nantes striker Thomas Dossevi told Radio Monte Carlo."We are still at hospital. We were attacked like dogs and had to hide for 20 minutes under the seats to avoid the bullets. We were shot, although we had two police coaches on our sides. There are two injured players and also some staff."
"The Angolan driver was killed on the spot," the Togolese official told Reuters.
The two players injured are reported to be GSI Pontivy goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilalé and Vaslui FC defender Serge Akakpo. Others reported injured are an assistant coach, a doctor and a journalist who was following the team. Alaixis Romao, the Grenoble player, told RMC he could count seven people injured.
According to RMC, the attack happened around 3.15 pm just after players entered Cabinda, one of the four host venues of the African Cup of Nations. Rebels have been fighting for independence in the oil-rich area of the country.
Witnesses said that the attack was very violent and that the team could only protect itself by lying down in the coach with the front part of the vehicle especially targeted.
The incident looks set to place in jeopardy the chances of Togo entering the competition. Dossevi confirmed this. "We are not thinking about possible actions yet, but it's true no one wants to play," he said.
"We are not capable. Before everything we have to think of the health of our injured. There was a lot of blood on the floor. We haven't had a lot of updates about their health since they were dispatched to local hospitals. In this case, we think of families, of the people we love because we really could have died there."
Emmanuel Adebayor was unhurt in the attack, Manchester City have confirmed.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...global&cc=5901
Two players are reported to be injured and a Togolese sports ministry spokesman in Lome said that the bus driver had been killed in the attack.
The Sparrow Hawks are in the country ahead of the African tournament, which gets under way on Sunday.
"I am fine but several players are in a bad way," FC Nantes striker Thomas Dossevi told Radio Monte Carlo."We are still at hospital. We were attacked like dogs and had to hide for 20 minutes under the seats to avoid the bullets. We were shot, although we had two police coaches on our sides. There are two injured players and also some staff."
"The Angolan driver was killed on the spot," the Togolese official told Reuters.
The two players injured are reported to be GSI Pontivy goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilalé and Vaslui FC defender Serge Akakpo. Others reported injured are an assistant coach, a doctor and a journalist who was following the team. Alaixis Romao, the Grenoble player, told RMC he could count seven people injured.
According to RMC, the attack happened around 3.15 pm just after players entered Cabinda, one of the four host venues of the African Cup of Nations. Rebels have been fighting for independence in the oil-rich area of the country.
Witnesses said that the attack was very violent and that the team could only protect itself by lying down in the coach with the front part of the vehicle especially targeted.
The incident looks set to place in jeopardy the chances of Togo entering the competition. Dossevi confirmed this. "We are not thinking about possible actions yet, but it's true no one wants to play," he said.
"We are not capable. Before everything we have to think of the health of our injured. There was a lot of blood on the floor. We haven't had a lot of updates about their health since they were dispatched to local hospitals. In this case, we think of families, of the people we love because we really could have died there."
Emmanuel Adebayor was unhurt in the attack, Manchester City have confirmed.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...global&cc=5901
Comment