Togo faced a heartbreaking ordeal in the lead-up to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, leading them to forfeit the tournament.
The team encountered a tragic shooting incident during their journey from Congo to Angola, resulting in the deaths of their bus driver and goalkeeper, with two other players sustaining serious injuries.
Emmanuel Adebayor, the team’s captain, described the incident as the scariest experience of his life and expressed gratitude to be alive and well today.
In a detailed account shared on his YouTube channel, Adebayor recounted the traumatic events surrounding their journey to face Ghana in the opening game of the tournament.
“We jumped in the bus and set off from Congo to Angola. We reached a place and saw that there were a lot of security officials. The way they dressed was as if they were going to war. As footballers, we only made fun of it.
“We were just young boys and were having fun. Our bus had to be delayed because they had to check our documents. It took us thirty minutes to get that sorted and we crossed that border to where the AFCON was. We had two buses.
“One for the equipment and one for the players. While on the bus, I asked that the AC be turned on, but I was told that there was no AC on that bus and that the one with the luggage had AC. The players were already to swap but I convinced them that we should use that one and enjoy the natural air.”
Adebayor recounted that the journey had been smooth until they were close to their destination, where they suddenly heard an explosion.
Following the explosion, machine gun fire ensued, resulting in the tragic death of their driver. Additionally, their goalkeeper, Kodjovi Obilale, suffered severe gunshot injuries during the incident, leaving him paralysed to this day.
“The bus with the equipment was in front and that of the players was behind. A few minutes into the journey, we heard a big explosion and I thought it was fireworks. But I looked around and there was smoke all around and all I could hear was go down. There were machine guns firing. It was like a movie.
“We were shouting and there was a bit of silence. Then we found out that the driver was dead. Our second goalkeeper started crying about his leg but we thought he was joking. Then we started seeing blood in the car and he took off his shirt and we saw that his singlet was all red.”
Emmanuel Adebayor and the rest of the squad, along with three injured players, managed to escape the scene with the assistance of their military escort.
Subsequently, Togo withdrew from the tournament, leaving their group with three remaining nations: Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso. Following the incident, Obilale expressed in an interview with L’Equipe newspaper that he considers himself a ‘miracle.’
“I’m a miracle. I want to go back home. When the tension increases in me, I lose it; I want to break everything. I want to see my children again and be back with those closest to me.”