Togo appeals against cup ban

The Togolese Football Federation has appealed to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration of Sport to overturn the two-year ban imposed on their side for pulling out of the African Cup of Nations.

The Togo team returned home on government insistence after their team-bus heading for Angola and last month’s tournament was attacked by armed gunmen leaving two members of the delegation dead.

The African Confederation of Football, which organises the bienniel event, later banned Togo from taking part in the next two Nations Cups in Equatorial Guinea in 2012 and Libya in 2014.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has initiated an arbitration procedure following the appeal filed by the Football Federation of Togo (FTF) against the decision of 31 January 2010 taken by the African Football Confederation (CAF),” A CAS press statement read.

The Togolese are calling for a decision to be taken before February 20 when the draw is made for the 2012 qualifiers.