Conflicts force Stambouli to resign as Togo coach

Things don’t seem to calm down around the Togo national team. The latest development is the departure of French coach Henri Stambouli after only four months.

Stambouli says that internal conflicts are the reason of his departure, which comes just a week ahead of Togo’s World Cup qualifier with Zambia, in which a defeat would almost certainly mean elimination.

Togo did qualify for the World Cup in 2006, when they made their first appearance at the planet’s most prestigious tournament.

But scandals and conflicts surrounded the team, with then coach Otto Pfister resigning just ahead of the World Cup only to return after being persuade by the players.

The reason of Pfister’s temporary decision was a dispute with the Togo FA concerning the bonuses that were promised to the player. Later in the tournament, Togo players threatened to boy cot a match but this did not happen.