Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Driver killed in gun attack on Togo football team

January 09, 2010 00:27 IST

Unknown assailants opened fire on the coach carrying Togo's national football squad to the top African tournament in Angola on Friday, killing the driver and wounding four others, a Togolese official said.

"The Angolan driver was killed on the spot," said a Togolese sports ministry spokesman in Lome, adding that the attack took place in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda, where a separatist group has waged a three-decade long war against the government.

He said the wounded included two squad members and two medics. He said some of those wounded would have to be evacuated for treatment but gave no further details of their identity or the extent of their injuries.

The attack comes just two days before the start of the 2010 African Nations Cup, a pan-continental tournament which will have much of Africa glued to television and radio sets for the next three weeks.

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor was uninjured after the attack in Angola, the Premier League club said on their website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

City said club officials have spoken with Adebayor and that he was unharmed, though shaken by the terrible events.

Togo were due to play Ghana in a Group B tie on Monday.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.