In Togo, the national team’s failure to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations continues to spark controversy, with fans directing their frustration squarely at coach Claude Le Roy. Since the Hawks’ defeat against Benin in the sixth and final match of the qualifiers, the French manager has come under intense scrutiny for a campaign widely viewed as disappointing.
The Martin Luther King Movement (MMLK), a civic association active in the country, has announced a sit-in this Saturday to demand Le Roy’s departure. Initially, the group planned a march to express their discontent, but the Minister of Territorial Administration prohibited it. Following discussions between the association and the ministry, authorities authorized the demonstration as a sit-in, to take place in front of the Lomé municipal stadium on April 6, 2019.
In a statement, the MMLK criticized Le Roy’s tenure, pointing to the team’s poor results in the AFCON qualifiers. “In 2016, when the Hawks were in dire need of a national coach, it was decided to hire Frenchman Claude Le Roy to raise the level of Togolese football,” the statement reads. “His mandate included qualifying the Hawks for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, a prerequisite for extending his contract. Against all expectations, three years later, the results are abysmally poor, if not nonexistent. Of the six matches played in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, Claude Le Roy has won only one, and the defeat is complete, with the Hawks failing to qualify for the 2019 AFCON despite all the resources made available to him. Worse still, they finished last in their group behind Algeria, Benin, and Gambia.”
The MMLK concluded that Le Roy’s continued presence at the helm of Togolese football was no longer justifiable. “Claude Le Roy should no longer be at the head of the Hawks, and it is a matter of reason and common sense in view of the debacle he has brought to Togolese football,” the statement added.
Le Roy himself had previously hinted at the possibility of resignation if the Hawks failed to qualify. Following a heavy home defeat to Algeria (4-1) on November 18, the French coach told reporters, “I’ll see you after the sixth match. If we don’t qualify, it will obviously be the end of my Togolese adventure, since it will be the end of my contract. Logically, there won’t even be any going back on that.”
However, after Togo’s elimination at the hands of Benin on March 24, Le Roy appeared to change his stance, signaling his intention to remain in charge despite the failed campaign. The apparent reversal has fueled frustration among fans and civic groups alike, who view the decision as inconsistent with his previous statements and as a disregard for the team’s disappointing performance.
The sit-in organized by the MMLK underscores the tension surrounding Togolese football and the growing impatience of supporters eager for improved results on the international stage. With the Hawks failing to qualify and finishing bottom of their group, public pressure is mounting for decisive action regarding the national team’s leadership.
As Togo prepares for the demonstration, the future of Claude Le Roy’s tenure remains uncertain, with both fans and civic groups calling for accountability after a qualification campaign marked by underperformance and missed opportunities.
