Gunmen wound four in attack on Togo’s African football stars
By Nick Reeves (AFP)
Gunmen shot at a bus carrying Togo’s football team to the African Nations Cup in Angola Friday, January 8, 2010, wounding two players and two other people, and prompting calls for the tournament to be called off.
One player said he believed the driver of a bus in the team convoy was shot dead when bullets were sprayed at the vehicles as they crossed into the troubled Angolan province of Cabinda from Congo-Brazzaville.
Many dived under the seats on the bus when the gunfire started. Squad member Thomas Dossevi said the squad had been “fired on like dogs”.
Two players, goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale and defender Serge Akakpo were among the wounded, Dossevi told AFP.
“One of them (Akakpo) took a bullet in the back and the other (Obilale) was hit in the kidneys,” Dossevi said. “The assailants were hooded and armed to the teeth. We stayed under the seats for 20 minutes. It was horrible.”
Obilale plays at French fifth division side GSI Pontivy while Akakpo plays with Romanian outfit Vaslui.
The other two wounded were the team’s goalkeeping coach and doctor.
All were being treated in a hospital in the provincial capital, Cabinda.
Another team member, Richmond Forson, said he believed the driver one of the buses in the Togo convoy had been killed but that none of the players lives were in danger.
The gunfire broke out as they were pulling away from the border crossing, players said.
Forson, who plays with French fourth division side Thouars, told the French sports channel Infosport that a bus carrying the team’s baggage took the worst of the gunfire.
“It was the baggage bus which went in front of us which took the bullets because they thought we were in there,” Forson said.
“They shot the driver of this bus and I think he did not come through, the windscreen was smashed,” the player added.
Organisers of the tournament were to meet in Luanda after the shooting and Alaixys Romao, who plays for the French top flight side Grenoble, said the team was in shock and did not want to take part in the tournament which is due to begin on Sunday.
“We’ve got players wounded, members of staff, and we’re all just waiting for news,” the Togo player told Infosport.
“If it is possible, there should be a boycott of the tournament. Why not cancel all the matches. We just want to go back home.”
Henri Stambouli, who coached the Togo side in 2008, told Infosport he also believed the event should be called off. “Noting the seriousness of the situation I believe it should not go ahead,” said the Frenchman.
Former Cameroon and Ghana coach Claude Leroy told Radio Monte Carlo he feared the event might have to be cancelled. “That’s a question we have to ask – this is very serious. The African Confederation will definitely be meeting to take a decision.”
“They must take a stance on this crazy murderous business,” he insisted.
Togo, one of Africa’s top sides and who appeared in the last World Cup in Germany, were scheduled to start their campaign against Ghana on Monday in Cabinda.
They are captained by English-based striker Emmanuel Adebayor whose club Manchester City said in a statement that he had not been injured.
The other teams in their group are Burkina Faso and the star-studded Ivory Coast whose squad includes Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure.
Contacted by AFP earlier, tournament organisers said the team bus had simply burst a tyre, causing panic among the players.
Oil-rich Cabinda has been embroiled in a long-running independence struggle but will host the seven Nations Cup matches this month.
The conflict officially ended in a 2006 deal with the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC).
FLEC however has made several media claims in recent months about attacks on the military and foreign construction and oil workers based in the province.
Angola as a whole is only just emerging from a 27-year civil war which erupted shortly after it received independence from Portugal and finally ended in 2002.
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Gunmen attacks Togo national football team, kills one, injures 9
LUANDA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) — Gunmen opened fire on the coach carrying Togo’s national football team to the African Nations Cup in Angola Friday, killing the driver and wounding nine others, including two players, a Togo official said.
The bus had just entered Cabinda province in northwest Angola when it came under heavy gunfire for several minutes, Winny Dogbatse, a senior Togo official was quoted by the Reuters as saying.
“The response from the (police) escort meant the damage was limited and there are now nine injured people in hospital,” he said.
The tournament is expected to kick off Sunday and run until Jan. 31. Togo was due to play Ghana on Monday, one of six group matches.
The separatist group the Front for the Liberation of Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
But Antonio Bento Bembe, the Angolan minister in charge of affairs in Cabinda, said it was not the work of FLEC rebels. “FLEC no longer exists, the attack comes from certain individuals who want to cause problems for us,” he told the Reuters. He called the attack “an act of terrorism.”
The Confederation of African Football said Friday the tournament will open on Sunday as scheduled.
Gunmen wound four in attack on African football starsBy Nick Reeves (AFP) – 4 hours agoLUANDA — Gunmen shot at a bus carrying Togo’s football team to the African Nations Cup in Angola Friday, wounding two players and two other people, and prompting calls for the tournament to be called off.
One player said he believed the driver of a bus in the team convoy was shot dead when bullets were sprayed at the vehicles as they crossed into the troubled Angolan province of Cabinda from Congo-Brazzaville.Many dived under the seats on the bus when the gunfire started. Squad member Thomas Dossevi said the squad had been “fired on like dogs”.
Two players, goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale and defender Serge Akakpo were among the wounded, Dossevi told AFP.”One of them (Akakpo) took a bullet in the back and the other (Obilale) was hit in the kidneys,” Dossevi said. “The assailants were hooded and armed to the teeth. We stayed under the seats for 20 minutes. It was horrible.”Obilale plays at French fifth division side GSI Pontivy while Akakpo plays with Romanian outfit Vaslui.The other two wounded were the team’s goalkeeping coach and doctor.
All were being treated in a hospital in the provincial capital, Cabinda.Another team member, Richmond Forson, said he believed the driver one of the buses in the Togo convoy had been killed but that none of the players lives were in danger.
The gunfire broke out as they were pulling away from the border crossing, players said.Forson, who plays with French fourth division side Thouars, told the French sports channel Infosport that a bus carrying the team’s baggage took the worst of the gunfire.
“It was the baggage bus which went in front of us which took the bullets because they thought we were in there,” Forson said. “They shot the driver of this bus and I think he did not come through, the windscreen was smashed,” the player added.
Organisers of the tournament were to meet in Luanda after the shooting and Alaixys Romao, who plays for the French top flight side Grenoble, said the team was in shock and did not want to take part in the tournament which is due to begin on Sunday.
“We’ve got players wounded, members of staff, and we’re all just waiting for news,” the Togo player told Infosport.”If it is possible, there should be a boycott of the tournament. Why not cancel all the matches. We just want to go back home.”Henri Stambouli, who coached the Togo side in 2008, told Infosport he also believed the event should be called off. “Noting the seriousness of the situation I believe it should not go ahead,” said the Frenchman.
Former Cameroon and Ghana coach Claude Leroy told Radio Monte Carlo he feared the event might have to be cancelled. “That’s a question we have to ask – this is very serious. The African Confederation will definitely be meeting to take a decision.”
“They must take a stance on this crazy murderous business,” he insisted.Togo, one of Africa’s top sides and who appeared in the last World Cup in Germany, were scheduled to start their campaign against Ghana on Monday in Cabinda. They are captained by English-based striker Emmanuel Adebayor whose club Manchester City said in a statement that he had not been injured.
The other teams in their group are Burkina Faso and the star-studded Ivory Coast whose squad includes Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure.Contacted by AFP earlier, tournament organisers said the team bus had simply burst a tyre, causing panic among the players.
Oil-rich Cabinda has been embroiled in a long-running independence struggle but will host the seven Nations Cup matches this month. The conflict officially ended in a 2006 deal with the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC). FLEC however has made several media claims in recent months about attacks on the military and foreign construction and oil workers based in the province.
Angola as a whole is only just emerging from a 27-year civil war which erupted shortly after it received independence from Portugal and finally ended in 2002.
This is indeed a terrorist activities. All countries should take care about such activities.