Togolese football grieves the loss of three leading figures in 2025

Togo’s football community is mourning the deaths of three prominent figures in 2025, a year marked by both sporting and human tragedy.

The passing of former coach and technical director Gneni Sebabi on 3 October has compounded the loss felt across the nation after the earlier deaths of goalkeeper Bassa Djeri and veteran coach Jean-Louis Koudjonou.

Bassa Djeri, affectionately known as the toothpick goalkeeper, rose to prominence in 2017 with Gbikinti FC in Togo’s top division.

He became one of the country’s most recognisable shot-stoppers, representing the Hawks and earning admiration for his agility and resolve between the posts.

Djeri’s career took him beyond Togo, featuring spells with Coton Sport de Garoua in Cameroon and Enyimba FC in Nigeria, where he was still playing at the time of his death.

According to TogoFoot, he succumbed on 14 June at the age of 37 after a prolonged illness.

Another towering figure of the domestic game, Jean-Louis Koudjonou, died on 30 September aged 67.

Beginning his career as a physical education teacher, Koudjonou transitioned into coaching with a string of clubs including Agaza, where he had also played in the 1980s, as well as Dyto and Anges Notsé.

His contribution extended far beyond the pitch: as a technical director and later a media consultant, he became a sought-after voice on television and radio, sharing decades of expertise and shaping the next generation of coaches and players.

The latest loss, Gneni Sebabi, has deepened the sense of bereavement.

A former coach of AS OTR and one-time National Technical Director, Sebabi was respected for his strategic insight and dedication to nurturing talent.

His death on 3 October brought to three the number of influential figures Togo has lost this year.

These men left indelible marks on Togolese football through their leadership, talent and mentorship.

Their contributions helped shape the sport at both grassroots and elite levels, forging a legacy that transcends their passing.

As the football community unites in grief, tributes continue to pour in for three figures whose achievements will remain etched in the country’s sporting history.

For Togo, 2025 has been a sombre reminder of the fragility of life, even as the nation looks to honour the memory of those who gave so much to its footballing identity.