Togo Prepares for Mauritius Friendly Under Interim Coach Tom Saintfiet
By [BBC Reporter Name], BBC Sport Africa
As part of the FIFA Day fixtures, Togo will face Mauritius this Saturday, March 28, in Curepipe. The Hawks arrive amid coaching uncertainty, with Tom Saintfiet stepping in as interim head coach for this encounter.
Saintfiet, who has previously managed Free State Stars and Malawi’s national team, is already in Mauritius and staying with the Togo delegation. Despite his presence, the Togolese Normalization Committee has yet to make an official announcement regarding his appointment, with reports suggesting his role is limited to this single match.
Saintfiet replaces Jean Paul Abalo, whose negotiations with the committee failed to materialize into a contract.
The Togo squad is split between local-based players, who arrived yesterday, and expatriates scheduled to join on Thursday evening. The roster features a mix of experienced professionals, including midfielder Alaixys Romao of Olympique de Marseille, striker Jonathan Ayité of Turkey’s Alanyaspor, and winger Serge Gakpé from Nantes.
Togo Squad for Mauritius Friendly:
Goalkeepers:
Jean-Robert Klomegan (AS Togo Port), Yakoubou Nouridine (Semassi)
Defenders:
Sadat Ouro-Akoriko (Amazulu, South Africa), Alban Sabah (Dresden, Germany), Serge Akakpo (Hoverla, Ukraine), Mamah Abdoul Gafar (Dacia, Moldova), Kossivi Nouwoklo (AS Togo Port), Kokou Donou (Semassi)
Midfielders:
Alaixys Romao (OM, France), Komlan Amewou (Al Shaab, UAE), Matthieu Dossevi (Olympiakos, Greece), Dove Wome (SuperSport, South Africa), Prince Ségbéfia (Zorya Luhansk, Ukraine)
Attackers:
Jonathan Ayité (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Serge Gakpé (FC Nantes, France), Atakora Lalawelé (Helsingborgs, Sweden), Agbegniadan Komlan (AS Togo Port)
The match offers a crucial opportunity for Togo to build cohesion under Saintfiet’s guidance ahead of upcoming qualifiers and tournaments.
