Togo line up 12 dual nationals for U23 Olympic project

Togo are beginning to reshape their national set-up, with 12 professional dual-national players reportedly agreeing to represent the country at Under-23 level as preparations build towards the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers.

The move is part of a wider plan by the Federation Togolaise de Football to introduce younger players into the national structure and create a long-term pathway for the Eperviers du Togo. Scouts appointed by the federation are monitoring young footballers around the world as the country seeks to strengthen its future options.

“Whoever wants to travel far must take care of his mount,” says the proverb. Togo’s football authorities are applying that principle as they prepare for their next challenges, with a particular focus on renewing the national team and developing a core of players capable of making the step up to senior international football.

Sources close to the team say the 12 players involved are all dual nationals who play professionally and have already agreed to wear Togo’s colours in forthcoming U23 matches. Their identities have not been disclosed.

The approaching qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games is expected to provide an important opportunity to assess new talent and bring players into the Togolese set-up. The U23 team will therefore serve not only as a competitive side but also as a potential route into the senior squad.

“An U23 team is an Olympic team where players can take over from the senior team,” a source close to the set-up told us.

That approach reflects the scale of the challenge facing Togo. The country must balance the demands of high-level football with the need to produce results on the pitch, while also building a team capable of competing over the longer term.

The federation’s recruitment work is aimed at widening the pool of eligible players beyond those already involved in the national system. By tracking young professionals across different parts of the world, Togo hope to identify fresh options before the Olympic qualifying process begins.

The project comes as the Eperviers du Togo seek to return to the continental stage and restore their reputation as a side that opponents must take seriously. The development of the U23 group is viewed as a central part of that ambition, with the next generation expected to provide both immediate competition and future support for the senior national team.

For now, the reported agreement of 12 players represents an early step in the process. Their arrival would give Togo a youthful core around which the country can continue building its national football programme.