The Togo football club will participate in the Africa Cup in Angola after FLEC rebels attacked and killed several members of their team. FLEC is based in the oil-rich Cabinda region.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Togo's football team has decided to play in the Africa Cup of Nations, even though the government withdrew it after a deadly attack on Friday, players say.
Thomas Dossevi told the AFP news agency the players wanted to stay in Angola in memory of the three people who were killed when rebels fired on their bus.
L'Equipe quoted Alaixys Romao as saying the team would not leave like cowards.
Togo has demanded Angola explain why it was not warned of the dangers of travel in Cabinda, where the bus was ambushed.
Angolan officials had earlier expressed astonishment that the team had travelled there by road from their base in the Republic of Congo.
'Unanimous decision'
On Saturday, Togo government spokesman Pascal Bodjona said the players were returning home because they were in a state of shock.
"We cannot in such a dramatic circumstance continue in the Africa Cup of Nations," he told reporters.
But later two players said they were determined to stay.
"We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men," Thomas Dossevi said.
"It was a decision taken nearly unanimously by the team which met during the night after having been reassured by the Angolan authorities," he added.
Alaixys Romao also said the decision had been unanimous.
CABINDA
# Oil-rich province cut off from the rest of Angola by DR Congo
# Flec rebels fought for region's independence
# Rebels laid down arms in 2006 but some unrest continues
# Angola had dismissed concerns about staging games there
"We have just had a meeting of the whole delegation and we will be on the pitch on Monday to face Ghana," he said.
Manchester City, the club of Togo's captain, Emmanuel Adebayor, said on its website on Friday that he was returning to the UK.
"People have died for the Africa Cup of Nations, others have been injured. We can't let them down and leave like cowards," Romao added.
"If we stay here it's for them, but also not to give any satisfaction to the rebels. Our government does not necessarily agree with us but we are all determined to play this competition," he added.
When contacted on Saturday night, a spokesman for the tournament organisers, the Confederation of African Football (Caf), could not confirm the reports, saying: "I don't know. I am not aware so far. I've not heard any communication."
Caf had earlier said it understood Togo's withdrawal, but that the six other matches scheduled to be played in Cabinda would go ahead.
Security guarantee
In Friday's attack, several gunmen opened fire on the Togo team bus shortly after it had crossed from the Republic of Congo into the enclave of Cabinda.
Adebayor told the BBC the players and support staff were trapped on the bus for 30 minutes as Angolan police fought the attackers. They eventually had to flee under fire to get into the vehicles sent to rescue them, he said.
Togolese officials said the driver had died at the scene, while media officer Stanislas Ocloo and assistant coach Amalete Abalo died later in hospital.
The separatist rebel Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (Flec), which has fought for independence for several decades but entered into a ceasefire in 2006, later claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Angolan government, which had hoped the tournament would show how well it had recovered from the fighting, called the incident an "act of terrorism".
CAF president Issa Hayatou said he had received a guarantee that security would be increased for all teams and at all venues.
The bi-annual Africa Cup of Nations begins with the hosts playing Mali in Luanda on Sunday and lasts until 31 January.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8450421.stm
Published: 2010/01/10 05:08:37 GMT
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