Togolese team fired on in Angola, injuries: report

Several Togolese footballers, in Angola for the African Nations Cup, were injured, some seriously, when their team bus was fired on with machine guns, French Infosport television reported Friday.

The sports channel said the bus was fired on as the team travelled through the Cabinda region bordering Congo.

“Two players have been injured,” one player, Thomas Dossevi, told Infosport, which later reported that several players had been seriously hurt.

Contacted by AFP, organisers of the event said the team bus had simply burst a tyre. After a second enquiry, organisers said they had no knowledge of the incident.

Togo are scheduled to get their campaign underway against Ghana on Monday, however Dossevi said the players had already expressed a wish not to play the tournament.

“We don’t feel much like playing the CAN Cup. Our thoughts are with our friends, the injured,” said Dossevi, of French second division side Nantes.

Dossevi named goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale of French amateur side GSI Pontivy and defender Serge Akakpo of Romanian outfit Vaslui as among the injured.

He added: “We had just crossed the border (between Congo and Cabinda, where Togo are to play their Group B matches). We had filled in the border formalities and were surrounded by police. Everything was fine. Then there was a powerful burst of gunfire.

“Everyone dived under the seats and the police fired back.

“It felt like war had broken out. It’s shocking. When we got off the bus we were asking ourselves what was up.”