Togo withdraws from football tourney after terror attack

LUANDA - Togo withdrew from the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament Saturday following a terror attack on the team bus that left the driver dead and at least two players injured.

“Togo has pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations after their team bus came under gunfire in Angola,” Manchester City, Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor’s club, said on its website.

“He and his teammates met this morning before deciding that they wished to pull out of the tournament,” the Premier League club revealed.

“Their first game in the tournament had been scheduled to take place on Monday against Ghana, but they are now heading home to their families.”

The Togo bus came under machine-gun fire shortly after entering Angola Friday and the attack was later claimed by the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) - which has threatened further attacks during the tournament.

Defender Serge Akakpo, who plays for Romanian club Vaslui, was hit twice by bullets while reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale of French club GSI Pontivy, was also wounded.

However, goalkeeper Kossi Agassa told France-Info radio that there had been three fatalities, with a Togo assistant coach and a spokesperson also perishing.

Togo coach coach Hubert Velud described the attack as “an act of barbarism” in an interview with French radio station RMC.

Velud was injured in the arm and said the army “saved our lives”.

Grenoble midfielder Alaixys Romao told French newspaper L’Equipe that the Togo players were already at the airport waiting to return home.

“We’re waiting for the plane to return to Lome,” Romao said. “We’re also talking to the other teams in our group to try to convince them to boycott the competition too.”