In, Out, In, Out The Togo Football Team

Despite the news yesterday that the players wanted to stay on to compete in honour of the driver, coach and press officer who died. It appears that the Togolese Government are still insisting that the team fly home.

Team coach Hubert Velud said:

"For the moment, it looks like we're leaving. But I can only speak in the conditional, because for the last three days everything changes every other hour."

Captain Emmanuel Adebayor tells that he and the team are now accepting the authority of their Government.

"This Friday at 1430, we were all dead on that bus. We sent our last messages to our families. We called our family to say our last words. I told myself: 'If you're still there on the ground in Angola, why not (play)?'

"The authorities decided we should return (home), so we will return."

He also tells of speaking to the teams of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, two of their group opponents, about the incident when his team mates and he were trapped under gunfire for half an hour on Friday.

"They expressed their support by saying they were ready to leave the competition if we did," he said.

"(But) at the end of the day, we realised that they were ready to continue. It is still a continent where a World Cup will take place in South Africa.

"If we speak of the dead, the competition should have been cancelled. But the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has decided otherwise.

"We're going back and we wish good luck to those who will remain, especially to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

"What I have told their leaders is that they may be attacked at any time in Cabinda. I hope they will be cautious."