One thing about being a fan of soccer: You get to know so much more about the world. That goes for the good as well as the bad.
The big question in the soccer world Sunday night was: Will the grieving Togo players remain in the African Nations Cup, or won’t they?
Its players, and as a result, the entire nation, was struck by tragedy Friday night. Togo’s team bus, on the way to the ANC, was ambushed Friday as it crossed the border from Congo into Cabinda, an Angolan enclave. Three people were killed: the bus driver, a Togo assistant coach and a team spokesman. It was a terrorist attack by rebels who seek independence from Angola, and were looking for a high-profile target.
The African Nations Cup, played every two years, has grown into a big tournament with the rise of so many African stars who play for big European teams. I wish it was on television here, but it is hard to find in the U.S.
Perhaps Togo’s most famous player is Emmanuel Adebayor, who plays for Manchester City in England. Others play in England and France.
Togo’s players were debating the past two days whether or not to withdraw from the tournament. Eventually, the players decided to stay and honor the dead, but the Togo president stepped in, sent his plane to Angola and ordered the team back home. However, the players are still asking if they can go back.
It is easy to see how one would struggle with wanting to play, thus trying to take a victory away from the terrorists, or just wanting to go home and mourn the losses.
The attack likely will cast a pall over the World Cup in South Africa. Although South Africa does not have the same civil strife as Angola and comparisons are not necessarily fair, one of the concerns about South Africa is its high crime rate.
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