It was reported on Monday that Denke Wazo, former Togolese international from the 1980s, passed away in France at the age of 56. Wazo, who served as a defender and captain of the Togolese national team during the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), holds significance in Togolese football history as the first player to venture into a European football career, despite the authorities prohibiting players from leaving the country at the time.
“After the competition [The CAN 1984], Denké Wazo, along with his friend Lawson Placca Handel from Entente 2 of Lomé, quietly departed for the bustling Ivorian metropolis. Confident in their ability to seek new opportunities and elevate their sporting careers, they encountered Charles Zoumaro Gnofame, former CEO of the Central and Administrative Garage and influential figure in the Togolese Football Federation during the 1980s, behind their hotel. Despite initially thinking they had escaped the watchful eye of the official and sports manager, they were eventually repatriated to Lomé. Undeterred, Denké Kossi Wazo, employed at Lomé airport, persevered and eventually found a way to pursue his aspirations,” testified Ekoue Satchivi, a Togolese journalist, on the Le Temps magazine website.
Wazo notably represented Berrichonne de Châteauroux and FC Bourges in France, where he showcased his talents. In Togo, he played for Aiglons de Lomé, a club established in 1978.
