January 8, 2010, marked an unforgettable and tragic date for the people of Togo as a whole. On this day, misfortune struck their football at its core when the national football team’s bus was attacked in Cabinda, an enclave of Angolan territory, where the CAN 2010 matches were scheduled to take place. The bus was machine-gunned by autonomists, resulting in at least two deaths, injuries, and deep trauma within the Éperviers and Togolese football. Four years later, the memory of this tragic event remains vivid.
Recollection of Events:
On January 8, 2010, the national football team was on an ordinary bus trip between Congo-Brazzaville and the Angolan enclave of Cabinda. However, politics and violence overshadowed the premises of the 2010 African Cup of Nations.
Upon crossing the border, the vehicle was attacked with heavy weapons by autonomist militants from Flec, the Cabinda Enclave Liberation Front. Players and supervisors threw themselves to the ground, but the Angolan driver had already been hit. Assistant coach Abalo Amélété and delegation press chief Stanislas Ocloo lost their lives under the gunfire. Players, shocked by thirty minutes of strafing, were not spared. Defender Serge Akakpo was seriously injured, and goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale was gravely wounded, leading to chaos and confusion.
Issa Hayatou’s CAF and Controversies:
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) responded skeptically to the facts reported by foreign journalists. CAF’s president, Issa Hayatou, initially refused to comment, and when the organization finally spoke, it did so with a controversial argument: the Togolese delegation could have avoided the tragedy by following CAN regulations, namely by taking a plane instead of a bus.
While CAF’s argument was technically correct, its lack of humanity and reluctance to criticize the Angolan state sparked anger in Togo.
Cabinda’s Aftermath:
Following the attack, the Sparrowhawks were divided on whether to return home or continue playing in the CAN. The Togolese government ultimately decided for them, ordering the repatriation of Emmanuel Adebayor and his entourage. Group B was reduced to three teams: Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.
CAF reacted furiously to this decision, and Mr. Hayatou suspended the Togolese national team from the 2012 and 2013 CAN qualifiers. However, this suspension was later lifted in May 2010 through mediation by FIFA.
Obilale: Symbol of Tragedy:
Kodjovi Obilale, who survived the attack, became the symbol of the tragedy of Cabinda. The goalkeeper was repatriated to France, where he received support from the National Union of French Professional Footballers (UNFP) and $100,000 in aid from FIFA. However, the CAF and the Togolese Football Federation (FTF) initially remained unresponsive to Obilale’s needs. The Togolese players were left disgusted and traumatized.
One of the major consequences of the Cabinda tragedy was the disastrous qualifying campaign for CAN 2012. The Éperviers finished penultimate in their group with 4 defeats, 3 draws, and 1 victory. While they surprised the world by qualifying for the quarter-finals in the 2013 African Cup, the scars left by the events in Cabinda must be addressed to restore the shine to Togolese football.
