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."

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 Obilalé was reported dead a day after the attack, though he actually survived.[4] Such reports were later dismissed by his club GSI Pontivy in a press announcement, stating the player was actually undergoing surgery in South Africa.[5]

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),[6] the government later ordered that the team return home.[7]

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 US$50,000 because of the "decision taken by the political authorities".[8][9][10] 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),[8][11] 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".[9] FIFA has yet to comment on the issue.[9] 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".[9] Togolese captain Emmanuel Adebayor described the decision as "outrageous" and said that CAF President Issa Hayatou had "completely betrayed" the Togo squad.[12]

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".[13] 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.[14] The match fixing has been linked to Wilson Raj Perumal and the Singaporean match-fixing syndicate allegedly run by Tan Seet Eng.[15]

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.

The following players were selected for the friendly against Lesotho on the 14 June and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Eswatini on 18 June 2023.[16]

Caps and goals correct as of 18 June 2023, after the match against Eswatini.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Malcolm Barcola	(1999-05-14) 14 May 1999	20	0	Tuzla City
	1GK	Wassiou Ouro-Gneni	(1997-02-14) 14 February 1997	5	0	ASC Kara
	1GK	Steven Mensah	(2003-03-22) 22 March 2003	0	0	Hamburger SV
	2DF	Djené	(1991-12-31) 31 December 1991	69	0	Getafe
	2DF	Klousseh Agbozo	(1994-06-26) 26 June 1994	14	0	Olympique Béja
	2DF	Loïc Bessilé	(1999-02-19) 19 February 1999	8	0	Eupen
	2DF	Kennedy Boateng	(1996-11-19) 19 November 1996	6	0	Santa Clara
	2DF	Emmanuel Hackman	(1995-05-14) 14 May 1995	5	0	Mladost Novi Sad
	2DF	Roland Amouzou	(1994-12-18) 18 December 1994	0	0	ASKO Kara
	3MF	Alaixys Romao	(1984-01-18) 18 January 1984	77	0	Ionikos
	3MF	Marouf Tchakei	(1995-12-15) 15 December 1995	24	2	AS Vita Club
	3MF	Richard Nane	(1995-06-23) 23 June 1995	14	4	Hafia
	3MF	Gnama Akaté	(1991-11-25) 25 November 1991	14	1	Al-Naft
	3MF	Karim Dermane	(2003-12-26) 26 December 2003	6	1	Lommel
	3MF	Roger Aholou	(1993-12-30) 30 December 1993	6	0	Raja CA
	3MF	Samsondin Ouro	(2000-03-02) 2 March 2000	5	0	Radomlje
	3MF	Samuel Asamoah	(1994-03-23) 23 March 1994	4	0	FC U Craiova
	3MF	Kodjo Aziangbe	(2003-12-14) 14 December 2003	0	0	Zorya Luhansk
	4FW	Ihlas Bebou	(1994-04-23) 23 April 1994	30	1	1899 Hoffenheim
	4FW	Euloge Placca Fessou	(1994-12-31) 31 December 1994	27	8	Shakhtyor Soligorsk
	4FW	Kévin Denkey	(2000-11-30) 30 November 2000	23	2	Cercle Brugge
	4FW	David Henen	(1996-04-19) 19 April 1996	15	0	Kortrijk
	4FW	Ismaïl Ouro-Agoro	(1996-02-20) 20 February 1996	14	0	AS FAR
	4FW	Abdou Moutalabou Ouattara	(1995-04-06) 6 April 1995	1	0	ASKO Kara
	4FW	Yawo Agbagno	(2000-05-25) 25 May 2000	0	0	AS OTR
	4FW	Ouro-Bodi Harissou	(1996-02-07) 7 February 1996	0	0	ASKO Kara

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

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Steven Nador	(2002-06-23) 23 June 2002	2	0	Montevarchi Aquila	v.  Burkina Faso, 28 March 2023
FW	Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba	(1992-01-27) 27 January 1992	45	19	Al Ain	v.  Burkina Faso, 28 March 2023
FW	Thibault Klidjé	(2001-07-10) 10 July 2001	8	0	Luzern	v.  Burkina Faso, 28 March 2023
FW	Tawfik Moukaïla	(1998-07-30) 30 July 1998	2	0	ASC Kara	v.  Burkina Faso, 28 March 2023
DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up. INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Player has retired from international football. SUS Suspended from the national team.