Ade Coming home

[Abu Dhabi]

BBC now reporting a third has died (teams press guy). This thing should be fucking cancelled. Pull your finger out Blatter and use your power (cash) to stop it now, no football game is worth thre people dying over.

Can't help but wonder ....

In this country when a terrorist attack happens we, most of us, take the attitude that we mustn't encourage the terrorists by giving in to them and changing our way of life. And yet here we all are saying a major football tournament should be disrupted or even cancelled?

Don't attack me over the above, I'm just 'thinking out loud' so to speak - not sure I even agree with myself :-o

I see what you are trying to say, but calling off the tournament is not what they want really. I believe its a political point they were trying to emphasize and they used the tournament media exposure for it.

[10.Goater_Legend]

Good to hear that's he's coming back, let's give him as much time as possible, I can't imangine how bad this must be for him.

[dazlebluefrog]

Where's this being reported mates?

I agree....they should be brought home, an absolute disgrace that Angola was even considered remotely suitable as a location to hold the tournament

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8449978.stm

its being reported on the bbc, 3 deaths now as well

Sky News just reported that a player has now also died.

been reported here as the reserve goalie who plays for GSI Pontivy in the CFA( 4th div here)

[10.Goater_Legend]

On OS now

Adebayor returning home from Angola
Togo has pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations after their team bus came under gunfire in Angola.
City star Emmanuel Adebayor, who is captain of the Togo side, was unharmed in the ambush and he and his team-mates met this morning before deciding that they wished to pull out of the tournament.

Their first game in the tournament had been scheduled to take place on Monday against Ghana, but they are now heading home to their families.

Two players were shot and injured in the attack in the northern province of Cabinda, and the coach driver was killed. Seven others were wounded.

Organisers have so far insisted the tournament will go ahead.

The Club is in regular contact with Emmanuel, his advisors and the English Football Association. It has been made clear by manager Roberto Mancini and senior officials that Emmanuel will now be given as much time as he needs to recover from the horrific attack.

The striker, who has admitted his state of shock, said before leaving the tournament that he ‘felt lucky to be alive’.

We will bring you more information as and when we get it.

[french_tony]

Sky news now reporting both the inured Togo players have died. Awful news. Bet Ade is in pieces.

[Crossie]

The competition should be boycotted, if its not cancelled.

It won;t be cancelled because Blatter is only in power due to the African vote. Bent bastard.

Personally although the Brit attitude is carry on and dont let THEM win, in this situation, in that country and area of the world, it is very likely to happen again, so let the bastards win this time.

[CTID Hants]

Sorry, probably in the other threads re African Nations or about the shooting but FIFA should never of even considered Angola as host (as Ant already said).

My "work wife's hubbie works for BP and was doing stints out in Angola 18 months back, had to wear bullet vest, armoured helmet for the journeys from the airport in a bomb proof landrover. They stopped them going by helicopter due to the risk of surface to air missile attack!!!

He now runs a petro chemical plant for them in Algeeres North Africa (SP) where he also has armed guards for transit due to chance of kidnap by extremists!

Blatter surely had some say in where this is held? Crazy beyond all belief.

[paulh]

shocking news what cowards guns on a coach party. reckon blatter should do a full survey into safety of angola at present/enhance secuirty if there are no guarantees cancel the tournament at last resort. this tournament is a shop window for undiscovered/up and coming african players and unites the continent would be a shame if cancelled

[CityFanFromRome]

would be a shame if cancelled

Well they could have thought about it before choosing Angola to host it. As things are now, it would be way, way worse if another episode like this happened during the tournament, and maybe a lot of people got killed, or even worse if some bomber attacked a full stadium during a match.

[BobbyJ1956]

Wonder how long it will be after he starts playing again before some nutters in the crowd at an away game start aiming pretend guns at him with their hands and making "bang-bang" noises when he's close to the touchline? I can see that happening at places like Stoke and Birmingham.

[mr_nool]

Wonder how long it will be after he starts playing again before some nutters in the crowd at an away game start aiming pretend guns at him with their hands and making "bang-bang" noises when he's close to the touchline? I can see that happening at places like Stoke and Birmingham.

and Highbury.

[CitizenYank]

I don't blame him if he decides to take a month off. Apparently, they killed the
driver of the bus. Frigging crazy.

[Lev Bronstein]

Hmmm. Some of these points have been exercised elsewhere. Most of Angola seems reasonably safe, and even the main city of the enclave has few extra dangers. The main problem seems to have been crossing the border where they did in a bus.

Anyway, I would expect/hope that the European based players would stay in Togo to be there for the funerals. (Although who is going to be in Angola for the poor old bus driver's funeral is another thing)

I don't blame Togo for pulling out. They've been damaged and traumatised. But as for cancelling the tournament - no.

The ANC means alot to African players - just look at how proud and determined Drogba is to play for the Ivory Coast.

Now there is no way that football is more important than peoples death. Actually, in the Grand Scheme, football isn't that important at all. But football represents normality, fun, enjoyment, the day to day mundane life. If the aim of the terrorists is to disrupt our lives and re-arrange them to suit their agenda, then we: the little ordinary people need to show the fascist bastards that your bombs and bullets are the mark of failure and we won't be bullied.

The ANC goes ahead.

[Robert]

I just read this, at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100110/tts-uk-soccer-nations-togo-romao-ca02f96.html

Togo's soccer team has decided to play in the African Nations Cup following a deadly attack on the squad, even though its government has withdrawn the side, French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported on Sunday. Skip related content

L'Equipe quoted midfielder Alaixys Romao as saying the team had agreed to stay in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda for its first Group B match against Ghana on Monday.

"The decision was taken unanimously," said Romao, who plays for French club side Grenoble.

Rebels of the Cabindan separatist group FLEC sprayed the Togolese team bus with gunfire on Friday, killing the driver and wounding nine others. Two members of Togo's soccer delegation died on Saturday and one was undergoing surgery in South Africa.

A Togolese minister said on Saturday that the government had decided to pull the team out of the tournament, which starts on Sunday, because of "this dramatic situation."

But L'Equipe quoted Romao as saying: "We have just had a meeting of the whole delegation and we will be on the pitch on Monday to face Ghana."

Officials of the team and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) were not immediately available for comment.

However, Manchester City said on their website (www.mcfc.co.uk) that their striker Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo's captain, was returning home.

"People have died for the African Nations Cup, others have been injured. We can't let them down and leave like cowards," said Romao.

"If we stay here it's for them but also not to give any satisfaction to the rebels. Our government does not necessarily agree with us but we are all determined to play this competition."