Africa Cup of Nations - Togo team shooting

Cup of Nations to proceed after three die in bus attack

Article published on the 2010-01-09 Latest update 2010-01-09 18:16 TU

Angolan TV shows Togo players comforting each other after the attack on their bus on 8 January.
Photo: Reuters

Organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations say the tournament will go ahead, despite Friday's armed attack on the Togo team bus.

Togo's squad was due to play Ghana on 11 January, but will now be returning home immediately.

Ghana's football association has confirmed that its team will stay in the tournament - but many are wondering how the Cup can continue without one of its strongest sides.

 

Serious security concerns have been raised after masked attackers fired machine guns on vehicles carrying the Togolese team from their training camp in Congo-Brazzaville to Angola's Cabinda province. 

RFI's Paul Myers in Luanda says the ambush left at least three people dead. These include the team's Press Officer Stanislas Ocloo and the Assistant Coach Abalo Amelete. The coach driver has also died but has not yet been named.

Another seven people remain wounded after the attack. Two players - goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale and defender Serge Akakpo - are among the injured.

Separatist movement the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group intended to target the military escorts accompanying the players, it told Portuguese news agency Lusa, adding that it planned to continue its campaign of violence with "a series of targeted actions [...] in all the territory of Cabinda."

Officials of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) were in talks on Saturday with government ministers in Angola to discuss security for players.

They will "take decisions to guarantee the smooth running of the competition," said a CAF statement.

The Angolan government on Friday condemned the attack and reiterated its "total commitment to guaranteeing everyone's security".