An Embarrassment To the Entire African Continent: Togo's ACN Ban

2010 is the year of Africa in world football. First Egypt hosted the U-20 World Cup, then Nigeria hosted the U-17 World Cup and in a matter of months, the world will turn their heads to South Africa for the real thing.

This was the year that the world was supposed to put aside the images that our media feeds us daily of Africa—images of a continent that only consists of HIV/AIDS, corruption, hunger, poverty, violence and tribalism.

Yet, Africa’s year to shine is getting overshadowed by the very sad events that went on during the African Cup of Nations in Angola, but it’s not the event you’re thinking of—I am not talking about the brazen gunfire attack in Cabinda on the Togolese national team. No, I’m talking about the insidious ban that Togo has been given by CAF for withdrawing from the Cup of Nations after this violence occurred.

By banning Togo, CAF are underlining fundamental reasons why so much of the rest of the world views Africa as a joke on the international stage and why so much of the world has doubts as to whether South Africa can even host the greatest sporting event in the world this summer.

Not to mention that they are punishing a team that is still grieving from their colleagues’ loss of life and still trying to bounce back from their own near-death experiences. Any sane human being would have removed themselves from the situation that Togo had been put in.

Just a few days ago the Court of Arbitration for Sport cowardly delayed to rule on this issue until a later date, thereby allowing the 2012 African Cup of Nations draw to occur without Togo’s name in the hat.

You will not find a bigger or stauncher supporter of African football than me, and it is for that reason that I find this ban so disgraceful and so utterly wrong. CAF have shown absolutely no compassion for the Togolese national team, regardless of whether there was government interference in their decision to pull out.

While I feel strongly the decision to pull out of the tournament is something that should have been left in the hands of the players themselves, one has to understand the Togolese government has a fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens.

Government interference should not be tolerated in sport, but extenuating circumstances must call for common sense to prevail here. All instances of past government interference have revolved around the football governing body losing its independence from the government, but this is a far cry from that.

Fifa must step in as soon as possible or African football and CAF are going to permanently lose credibility at a time where it should be as high as possible. I am saddened to see things turn out the way they have when the decision ultimately rested with CAF to put football players in harm’s way by sending them into Cabinda. Fifa’s silence on this issue has been unacceptable.

Should Togo have flown into Cabinda? Absolutely. But you simply cannot punish them anymore than they have already suffered, it is cruel and demeaning for the entire country.

If CAF does not have the interests and the backs of its own member states, then one must start to think whether the leaders of CAF should remain.

Common sense must prevail in this circumstance or African football and its reputation will be permanently damaged, never mind the consequences that will linger in Togo.

I hereby call upon every single footballer, specifically African footballers, Fifa, Uefa and every single African government and political leader to express their outrage at this ban, for unless there is global outcry from the leaders of our sport, I am afraid that Togo will be left in the dark.

If this is the case, Africa’s reputation will take another hit, yet this time it will be from the very people who are supposed to be protecting it.