Togo Turmoil

If you haven’t kept up with what is going on in Togo football, things are unfortunately much the same as always. We have a corrupt federation that can’t come together and get along with itself which has for all intents and purposes, put the Togo football team in spin cycle once again.

The latest development (aside from the crucial upcoming game against Zambia) is yet another coaching victim of the Togo Football Federation’s utter and complete crappiness. Henri Stambouli quit his post as skipper of Les Eperviers a mere 3 months and 3 days after taking the job. The reason? Pretty much the same reason as always- a stupid federation made up of people who can’t get their heads out of their you know what’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love Togo football and I will always back them 100% but this is getting ridiculous. How can a team be expected to succeed when they have no preparation, no leadership, no continuity and no organization? Well, the players have to press on because this Wednesday is a huge game against Zambia where a loss is just not an option if they intend to move onto the next stage of WC 2010 qualification.

Togo currently sits 3rd in the mutated 3-team Group 11 (After Eritrea withdrew) but have one game in hand over Zambia and Swaziland. Mixed results so far as Togo beat Zambia 1-0 in their first game then blew a chance to cement themselves in first place by dropping a 2-1 decision to little-known Swaziland. So where does that leave us? Togo could still possibly progress to the next round if they are able to secure 4 points out of a possible 6 in the next 2 games. The problem with that is that they will be playing a tough Zambian side in Zambia (where Togo is 0-2) and then have to play an unpredictable Swaziland squad who has nothing to lose in a home game for Togo that isn’t really a home game as it will be in Ghana due the home match ban placed by FIFA last November.

Based on what limited information is available, I’m going to take a stab at who we might see take the pitch Wednesday vs. Zambia:
GK- Cedric Mensah
Def- Massamasso Tchangia
Eric Akoto
Dare Nibombe
Abdul Mamah
MF- Alaixys Romoa
Moustapha Salifou
Robert Malm
Yao Senaya
F- Emmanuel Adebayor
Adekanmi Olufade

A couple of players who we have yet to see get the call this time around are starting 2006 WC keeper Kossi Agassa and Mohammed Kader who will forever be the answer to the trivia question, “Who scored Togo’s first-ever World Cup goal?” Not sure if or when we will see either of them in the yellow and green of Les Eperviers.

Player to watch: So far Togo’s leading goal scorer is not Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, it is in fact Adekanmi Olufade, who happens to be Adebayor’s cousin conveniently enough. This is good news as Togo needs to be more than a one-man team to be successful.

Prediction: Togo 2, Zambia-1. Partly because I think Togo can win this game and partly because I just really want them to win :)