Disastrous Start to Africa’s Cup of Nations
Africa’s Cup of Nations is one of the continent’s biggest sporting events. The tournament is scheduled to start on Sunday, January 10th in Angola. Four brand new stadiums at significant cost have been built and are ready for action. But some shocking tidings is trickling in. Togo’s national soccer team has been ambushed on the border of Angola and the Republic of Congo. Togo was scheduled to kick of the tournament in the northern Angolan town of Cabinda. The team had been training just across the border in the Republic of Congo, and today their bus was making its way to Cabinda when armed men started shooting at it. Thomas Dossevi, who plays for Togo and FC Nantes, told the BBC that they had been “machine-gunned, like dogs” .
The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) was behind the have a fling at. They’ve kept up a low level of insurgency for a number of years and have targeted foreigners in particular. Cabinda is an oil-rich enclave and the FLEC wants independence from Angola.
Togo’s national teams includes Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor one of Africa’s superlatively good soccer stars. He is apparently unhurt but shaken. So far the injured players have been taken to various hospitals. The bus driver, a coach and a press officer were killed. Togo has withdrawn from the Cup of Nations, but the tournament will still eventuate on. It is indeed a very sad day for Angola which is struggling to recover from years of civil war.
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