Togo national football team

Togo lost their opening game of the World Cup, despite having taken the lead against South Korea through a goal by Mohamed Kader. In the second half, Jean-Paul Abalo was sent off after 55 minutes, and goals from Lee Chun-Soo and Ahn Jung-Hwan sealed a 2–1 defeat for Togo.

Togo's next opponents in Group G were Switzerland, with the match scheduled for the afternoon of 19 June. However, the Togo squad and manager Pfister threatened to refuse to fulfill the fixture and take strike action. The squad and manager had been quoted as requesting payments from the Togolese Football Federation for participating in the tournament of around €155,000 (US$192,000) with added bonuses for victories or draws. FIFA negotiated with the squad and manager on 17 June, persuading them to travel to Dortmund in time to fulfill the fixture;[3] goals from Alexander Frei and Tranquillo Barnetta resulted in a 2–0 defeat. FIFA subsequently imposed a CHF100,000 fine on the Togolese federation for "behaviour unworthy of a participant in the World Cup."[4]

Togo's final group game against France ended in 2–0 defeat.

After a 2008 African Nations Cup qualifier away to Sierra Leone on 3 June 2007, 20 members of a delegation of sports officials from Togo, including Togolese Sports Minister Richard Attipoe, were killed when their helicopter exploded and crashed at Lungi International Airport. No players of the Togo national team were among the victims. The Togo players and officials of the team had been waiting to take the next helicopter flight to the island on which the airport is located.

On 8 January 2010, the Togo team bus was attacked by gunmen as it travelled to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, killing three and injuring several others. The separatist group Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) claimed responsibility for the attack. Goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale was reported dead a day after the attack.[5] Such reports were later dismissed by his club GSI Pontivy in a press announcement, stating the player was actually undergoing surgery in South Africa.[6]

Following the bus ambush attack, the Togolese Football Federation stated that they would withdraw from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations; despite claims that the team had since reversed the decision and would compete "to show our national colours, our values and that we are men" (as announced by Thomas Dossevi),[7] the government later ordered that the team return home.[8]

Following the team's withdrawal, The Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Togo from participating in the next two editions of the Cup of Nations and fined them $50,000 because of the "decision taken by the political authorities".[9][10][11] The CAF executive Committee considered that the Togolese team was in "forfeit notified less than twenty days before the start or during the final competition" (Art. 78 of the Regulations for the Africa Cup of Nations),[9][12] rather than having withdrawn (Art. 80), and refused to consider the circumstances as force majeure (Art. 87). Togo's government immediately said they would sue as CAF "have no consideration for the lives of other human beings" and this is further "insulting to the family of those who lost their lives and those traumatized because of the attack".[10] FIFA has yet to comment on the issue.[10] Togo footballer Thomas Dossevi said "We are a group of footballers who came under fire and now we can't play football any more. They are crushing us".[10] Togolese captain Emmanuel Adebayor described the decision as "outrageous" and said that CAF President Issa Hayatou had "completely betrayed" the Togo squad.[13]

As a result of the events, Emmanuel Adebayor announced his retirement from international football on 12 April 2010. But on 22 March 2011 Adebayor announced that he was again available for the national team.

On 7 September 2010, Togo allegedly played Bahrain in a friendly losing the match 3–0. However, on 14 September, the Togo FA claimed that a fake team had played against Bahrain. Togo's Sport Minister Christophe Tchao said to the Jeune Afrique magazine that nobody in Togo had "ever been informed of such a game".[14] On 20 September 2010, it was revealed that former Togo manager Bana Tchanilé was the culprit and the Togo FA have given him a three-year ban in addition to the two-year ban he got in July 2010 for taking Togo players to play a tournament in Egypt.[15] The match fixing has been linked to Wilson Raj Perumal and the Singaporean match-fixing syndicate allegedly run by Tan Seet Eng.[16]

Togo began qualification for the 2014 World Cup on November 11, 2011 against Guinea-Bissau. They drew in the first leg 1–1. On November 15, 2011, they won the return leg 1–0. On June 3, 2012, they played Libya in Lome and drew 1–1. Shortly after on June 10, they played Congo DR at Kinshasa and lost 2–0. They resumed on March 3, 2013 and played Cameroon in Yaounde and lost 2–1. They met again on June 9 in Lome and Togo won 2–0. In the end, Togo failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Football at the African Games has been an under-23 tournament since 1991.

African Games record
Year	Result	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
1965	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
1973	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
1978	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
1987	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
1991–present	See Togo national under-23 football team
Total	4/4	0	0	0	0	0	0

The following players have been called up for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Comoros and Kenya on 14 & 18 November 2019.[17]

Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2019 after the game against Kenya.[18]

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Malcolm Barcola	(1999-05-14) 14 May 1999	5	0	Lyon II
	1GK	Abdoul Moubarak Aïgba	(1997-08-05) 5 August 1997	1	0	OTR
	1GK	Dové Abotchi	(1992-09-20) 20 September 1992	0	0	JDR Stars
	2DF	Djené Dakonam (Captain)	(1991-12-31) 31 December 1991	51	0	Getafe
	2DF	Hakim Ouro-Sama	(1997-12-28) 28 December 1997	23	1	Lille B
	2DF	Steve Lawson	(1994-08-08) 8 August 1994	17	0	Livingston
	2DF	Simon Gbegnon	(1992-03-27) 27 March 1992	11	0	Béziers
	2DF	Adewale Olufade	(1994-08-21) 21 August 1994	8	0	Union Douala
	2DF	Wilson Akakpo	(1992-02-10) 10 February 1992	2	0	Al Ittihad
	2DF	Abdoul Bodé	(1995-01-22) 22 January 1995	4	0	Togo-Port
	2DF	Kangnivi Amatchoutchoui	(1994-05-28) 28 May 1994	0	0	Gbohloé-Su des Lacs
	3MF	Lalawélé Atakora	(1990-11-09) 9 November 1990	45	2	Gabala
	3MF	Floyd Ayité	(1988-12-15) 15 December 1988	43	11	Gençlerbirliği
	3MF	Mathieu Dossevi	(1988-02-12) 12 February 1988	32	5	Toulouse
	3MF	Franco Atchou	(1995-12-03) 3 December 1995	20	1	Fremad Amager
	3MF	Ihlas Bebou	(1994-04-23) 23 April 1994	20	1	TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
	3MF	Gilles Sunu	(1991-03-30) 30 March 1991	7	1	BB Erzurumspor
	3MF	Marouf Tchakei	(1995-12-15) 15 December 1995	6	2	ASKO Kara
	3MF	Yendoutie Nane	(1994-06-23) 23 June 1994	0	0	ASKO Kara
	4FW	Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba	(1992-01-27) 27 January 1992	28	12	Al Ain
	4FW	Peniel Mlapa	(1991-02-20) 20 February 1991	11	0	Kalba
	4FW	Kévin Denkey	(2000-11-30) 30 November 2000	8	1	Béziers
	4FW	David Henen	(1996-04-19) 19 April 1996	0	0	Grenoble

The following players have been called up for Togo in the last 12 months.

FIFA World Cup

• 2006 FIFA World Cup squad – Togo

Africa Cup of Nations

• 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 2013 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 2006 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 2002 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 2000 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 1998 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 1984 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo
• 1972 Africa Cup of Nations squad – Togo