Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou should resign following the ‘monstrous’ decision to ban Togo from the next two African Nations Cups, captain Emmanuel Adebayor said yesterday.
Togo quit the tournament when their government recalled the team for three days of mourning, after two members of their delegation were killed in an attack by gunmen in the northern Angolan province of Cabinda on January 8.
CAF banned Togo and fined their soccer association R400 000 on Saturday because their government had interfered in football matters.
“Mr Hayatou did serve Africa but today he must clear off. This decision is monstrous,” Adebayor told French sports daily L’Equipe.
“He is irresponsible. I have the feeling we are not respected.”
Togo Sports Minister Christophe Tchao told Reuters by telephone on Saturday that they would appeal the CAF ban.
An assistant coach and a media officer with the Togo team died in the ambush as the team travelled from Pointe Noire, Congo to the Angolan capital by bus for their opening match.
“Two well respected personalities in African football died, our keeper took three bullets. We did not just wake up in the morning and decide to leave the competition,” Adebayor said.
“If [Cameroon keeper Idriss Carlos] Kameni was the one having been shot or if it was the Ivory Coast team bus that had been attacked, the Nations Cup would have been cancelled.”
The Manchester City striker said the attack, which lasted at least 20 minutes, was still fresh in his memory.
“It is very difficult [to think of football]. Since the attack, I have been having nightmares every night,” he said.
Source: Kickoff.com
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