Togo national football team

Togo

Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)	Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks)
Association	Fédération Togolaise de Football
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Head coach	Tom Saintfiet
Captain	Serge Akakpo
Top scorer	Emmanuel Adebayor (30)
Home stadium	Stade de Kégué
FIFA code	TOG
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	88 9 (5 November 2015)
Highest	41 (August 2006)
Lowest	125 (September 2014)
First international
French Togoland 1–1 Gold Coast and Trans-Volta Togoland (French Togoland; 13 October 1956)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (First in 2006)
Best result	Round 1
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	7 (First in 1972)
Best result	Quarter-finals: 2013

Members of the Togolese national football team before a warm-up match in Biberach/Riss a few days before the 2006 World Cup

The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks), is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football. They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus underwent a fatal attack in Angola prior to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. They withdrew and were subsequently banned from the following two tournaments by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). In 2013 for the first time in history, Togo reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

History

They made their first FIFA World Cup appearance in their history in 2006, having been coached throughout the qualifying campaign by Stephen Keshi; German coach Otto Pfister managed the team at the finals, despite having resigned three days before their first match over a players' bonuses dispute, only to be persuaded by the players to return. Prior to gaining independence in 1960, the team were known as French Togoland.

2006 World Cup

Togo lost their opening game of the World Cup, despite having taken the lead against South Korea through a goal by Mohamed Kader. In the second half, Jean-Paul Abalo was sent off after 55 minutes, and goals from Lee Chun-Soo and Ahn Jung-Hwan sealed a 2–1 defeat for Togo.

Togo's next opponents in Group G were Switzerland, with the match scheduled for the afternoon of 19 June. However, the Togo squad and manager Pfister threatened to refuse to fulfill the fixture and take strike action. The squad and manager had been quoted as requesting payments from the Fédération Togolaise de Football for participating in the tournament of around €155,000 (US$192,000) with added bonuses for victories or draws. FIFA negotiated with the squad and manager on 17 June, persuading them to travel to Dortmund in time to fulfill the fixture; goals from Alexander Frei and Tranquillo Barnetta resulted in a 2–0 defeat. FIFA subsequently imposed a CHF100,000 fine on the Togolese federation for "behaviour unworthy of a participant in the World Cup."

Togo's final group game against France ended in 2–0 defeat.

Sierra Leone air disaster

Main article: 2007 Paramount Airlines helicopter crash

After a 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier away to Sierra Leone on 3 June 2007, 20 members of a delegation of sports officials from Togo, including Togolese Sports Minister Richard Attipoe, were killed when their helicopter exploded and crashed at Lungi International Airport. No players of the Togo national team were among the victims. The Togo players and officials of the team had been waiting to take the next helicopter flight to the island on which the airport is located.

2010 bus ambush and ban

Main article: Togo national football team attack

On 8 January 2010, the Togo team bus was attacked by gunmen as it travelled to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, killing three and injuring several others. The separatist group Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) claimed responsibility for the attack. Goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale was reported dead a day after the attack. Such reports were later dismissed by his club GSI Pontivy in a press announcement, stating the player was actually undergoing surgery in South Africa.

Following the bus ambush attack, the Fédération Togolaise de Football stated that they would withdraw from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations; despite claims that the team had since reversed the decision and would compete "to show our national colours, our values and that we are men" (as announced by Thomas Dossevi), the government later ordered that the team return home.

Following the team's withdrawal, The Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Togo from participating in the next two editions of the Cup of Nations and fined them $50,000 because of the "decision taken by the political authorities". The CAF executive Committee considered that the Togolese team was in "forfeit notified less than twenty days before the start or during the final competition" (Art. 78 of the Regulations for the Africa Cup of Nations), rather than having withdrawn (Art. 80), and refused to consider the circumstances as force majeure (Art. 87). Togo's government immediately said they would sue as CAF "have no consideration for the lives of other human beings" and this is further "insulting to the family of those who lost their lives and those traumatized because of the attack". FIFA has yet to comment on the issue. Togo footballer Thomas Dossevi said "We are a group of footballers who came under fire and now we can't play football any more. They are crushing us". Togolese captain Emmanuel Adebayor described the decision as "outrageous" and said that CAF President Issa Hayatou had "completely betrayed" the Togo squad.

As a result of the events, Emmanuel Adebayor announced his retirement from international football on 12 April 2010. But on 22 March 2011 Adebayor announced that he was again available for the national team.

Fake Togo Team

On 7 September 2010, Togo allegedly played Bahrain in a friendly losing the match 3–0. However, on 14 September, the Togo FA claimed that a fake team had played against Bahrain. Togo's Sport Minister Christophe Tchao said to the Jeune Afrique magazine that nobody in Togo had "ever been informed of such a game". On 20 September 2010, it was revealed that former Togo manager Bana Tchanile was the culprit and the Togo FA have given him a three-year ban in addition to the two-year ban he got in July 2010 for taking Togo players to play a tournament in Egypt. The match fixing has been linked to Wilson Raj Perumal and the Singaporean match-fixing syndicate allegedly run by Tan Seet Eng.

2014 World Cup Qualification

Togo began qualification for the 2014 World Cup on November 11, 2011 against Guinea-Bissau. They drew in the first leg 1–1. On November 15, 2011, they won the return leg 1–0. On June 3, 2012, they played Libya in Lome and drew 1–1. Shortly after on June 10, they played Congo DR at Kinshasa and lost 2–0. They resumed on March 3, 2013 and played Cameroon in Yaounde and lost 2–1. They met again on June 9 in Lome and Togo won 2–0. In the end, Togo failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

World Cup record

See also: Togo at the FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1970	Did Not Enter
1974 to 1982	Did Not Qualify
1986 to 1990	Withdrew
1994 to 2002	Did Not Qualify
2006	Group Stage	30th	3	0	0	3	1	6
2010 to 2018	Did Not Qualify
Total	Group Stage	1/20	3	0	0	3	1	6

Africa Cup of Nations record

Year	Position	Year	Position	Year	Position
1957	Did not enter	1978	Did not qualify	1998	Round 1
1959	Did not enter	1980	Did not qualify	2000	Round 1
1962	Did not enter	1982	Did not qualify	2002	Round 1
1963	Did not enter	1984	Round 1	2004	Did not qualify
1965	Did not enter	1986	Did not qualify	2006	Round 1
1968	Did not qualify	1988	Did not qualify	2008	Did not qualify
1970	Did not qualify	1990	Withdrew	2010	Withdrew due to rebel attack
1972	Round 1	1992	Did not qualify	2012	Did not qualify
1974	Withdrew	1994	Withdrew during qualifying	2013	Quarter-Final
1976	Did not qualify	1996	Did not qualify	2015	Did not qualify

Current squad

The following 23 players were called up for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Liberia in 14 June 2015.
Caps and goals as of 14 June 2015, after the team's match against Liberia.

0#0 Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club 1GK Kossi Agassa (1978-07-02) 2 July 1978 57 0 Reims 1GK Cédric Mensah (1989-03-06) 6 March 1989 11 0 Colmar 1GK Jean-Robert Klomegah (1990-12-06) 6 December 1990 0 0 AS Togo-Port 2DF Abdoul-Gafar Mamah (1985-08-24) 24 August 1985 72 0 Dacia Chişinău 2DF Serge Akakpo (1987-10-15) 15 October 1987 49 1 Hoverla Uzhhorod 2DF Sadat Ouro-Akoriko (1988-02-01) 1 February 1988 25 1 AmaZulu 2DF Dakonam Djene (1991-12-31) 31 December 1991 19 0 Alcorcón 2DF Donou Kokou (1991-04-24) 24 April 1991 16 1 Semassi 2DF Mawouna Amevor (1991-12-16) 16 December 1991 5 0 Notts County 2DF Nouwoklo Martin (1993-05-24) 24 May 1993 5 0 AS Togo-Port 2DF Alban Sabah (1992-06-22) 22 June 1992 1 0 Dynamo Dresden 3MF Komlan Amewou (1983-12-15) 15 December 1983 63 4 Al-Shaab CSC 3MF Alaixys Romao (1984-01-18) 18 January 1984 54 0 Marseille 3MF Dové Womé (1991-06-08) 8 June 1991 28 6 SuperSport United 3MF Floyd Ayité (1988-12-15) 15 December 1988 24 4 Bastia 3MF Prince Segbefia (1991-03-11) 11 March 1991 19 0 Zorya Luhansk 3MF Lalawélé Atakora (1990-11-09) 9 November 1990 16 2 Helsingborg 3MF Mathieu Dossevi (1988-02-12) 12 February 1988 4 0 Olympiacos 3MF Aboubacar Rachidou (1992-12-14) 14 December 1992 1 0 Anges 4FW Emmanuel Adebayor (1984-02-26) 26 February 1984 63 29 Free Agent 4FW Serge Gakpé (1987-05-07) 7 May 1987 36 4 Genoa 4FW Jonathan Ayité (1985-07-21) 21 July 1985 21 6 Alanyaspor 4FW Backer Aloenouvo (1990-07-04) 4 July 1990 14 4 Al-Karkh 4FW Camaldine Abraw (1990-08-15) 15 August 1990 8 0 Free State Stars 4FW Euloge Placca Fessou (1994-12-01) 1 December 1994 7 1 OC Agaza

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Djehani N'Guissan	(1990-02-01) 1 February 1990	3	0	Dynamic Togolais	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
GK	Nouridine Yacoubou	(1992-02-11) 11 February 1992	1	0	Semassi	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
GK	Sodeke Tidjani	(1990-07-22) 22 July 1990	0	0	USC Paray Foot	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
GK	Mawugbe Atsou	(1986-08-20) 20 August 1986	5	0	Maranatha	v. Ghana, 10 September 2014
DF	Magnima Tawali	(1988-12-31) 31 December 1988	2	0	AS Douanes	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
DF	Kodjovi Koussou	(1992-06-07) 7 June 1992	0	0	Bayern Munich II	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
DF	Vincent Bossou	(1986-02-07) 7 February 1986	22	0	Goyang Hi FC	v. Ghana, 10 September 2014
DF	Emmanuel Mathias	(1986-04-03) 3 April 1986	12	0	ZESCO United	v. Ghana, 10 September 2014
MF	Papa Koami Awounyo	(1991-08-03) 3 August 1991	0	0	Al-Karkh	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
MF	Farid Zato-Arouna	(1992-04-23) 23 April 1992	2	0	KR	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
MF	Innocent Akpovo		0	0	Semassi	v. Ghana, 10 September 2014
FW	Peniel Mlapa	(1991-02-20) 20 February 1991	0	0	1. FC Nürnberg	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
FW	Mama Zougou Nazifou	(1993-03-13) 13 March 1993	0	0	Semassi	v. Uganda, 15 October 2014
FW	Fodo Kokou Laba	(1992-07-19) 19 July 1992	0	0	Anges	v. Ghana, 10 September 2014

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Coaches

• Eberhard Vogel (1997–98)
• Bana Tchanile (2000–02)
• Diego Garzitto (2002)
• Antônio Dumas (2002–04)
• Stephen Keshi (2004–06)
• Otto Pfister (2006)
• Stephen Keshi (2006–08)
• Henri Stambouli (2008)
• Kodjovi Mawuéna (2008–09)
• Jean Thissen (2009)
• Hubert Velud (2009–10)
• Thierry Froger (2010–11)
• Stephen Keshi (2011)
• Didier Six (2011, interim)
• Didier Six (2012–14)
• Tchakala Tchanilé (2014–2015)
• Tom Saintfiet (2015–)

External links

• Togo FA official site