Togo national football team

History

They made their first FIFA World Cup appearance in their history in 2006, having been coached throughout the qualifying campaign by Stephen Keshi; German coach Otto Pfister managed the team at the finals, despite having resigned three days before their first match over a players' bonuses dispute, only to be persuaded by the players to return. Prior to gaining independence in 1960, the team was known as French Togoland.

2006 World Cup

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; 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 a 2–0 defeat.

Sierra Leone air disaster

Main article: 2007 Paramount Airlines helicopter crash

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.

2010 bus ambush and ban

Main article: Togo national football team attack

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. Such reports were later dismissed by his club GSI Pontivy in a press announcement, stating the player was actually undergoing surgery in South Africa.

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), the government later ordered that the team return home.

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". 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), 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". FIFA has yet to comment on the issue. Togo footballer Thomas Dossevi said, "We are a group of footballers who came under fire and now we can't play football anymore. They are crushing us". Togolese captain Emmanuel Adebayor described the decision as "outrageous" and said that CAF President Issa Hayatou had "completely betrayed" the Togo squad. FIFA subsequently helped lifted their ban entirely.

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.

Fake Togo 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 Sports Minister Christophe Tchao said to the Jeune Afrique magazine that nobody in Togo had "ever been informed of such a game". 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. The match fixing has been linked to Wilson Raj Perumal and the Singaporean match-fixing syndicate allegedly run by Tan Seet Eng.

2014 World Cup Qualification

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

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2024

• Annor
• Denkey

2025

• Klidjé
• Denkey
• Koïta
• Mahmoud
• P. Sarr
• Boma
• Yade
• Abeid
• Fofana
• Bakambu

Coaches

:Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

• FRA Jean Robin (1965)
• GER Gottlieb Göller (1970–1974, 1984, 1996–1997, 1998–2000)
• YUG Boško Antić (1987–1989)
• TOG Julien Dovi Aguiar (1992)
• TOG Baboima Ergot (1993)
• TOG Paul Messan Zougbédé (1997)
• GER Eberhard Vogel (1997–1998)
• TOG Kodjovi Mawuéna (2000)
• TOG Bana Tchanile (2000–2002)
• FRA ITA Diego Garzitto (2002)
• BRA Antônio Dumas (2002–2004)
• NGR Stephen Keshi (2004–2006, 2007–2008, 2011)
• GER Otto Pfister (2006)
• FRA Henri Stambouli (2008)
• TOG Kodjovi Mawuéna (2008–2009)
• BEL Jean Thissen (2009)
• FRA Hubert Velud (2009–2010)
• FRA Thierry Froger (2010–2011)
• FRA Didier Six (2011–2014)
• TOG Tchakala Tchanilé (2014)
• BEL Tom Saintfiet (2015–2016)
• FRA Claude Le Roy (2016–2021)
• TOG Jonas Komla (2021)
• POR Paulo Duarte (2021–2024)
• TOG Daré Nibombé (2024–present)

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Mauritania and Senegal on 22 and 25 March 2025.

Caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2025, after the match against Senegal.

Recent call-ups

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

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.

Records

Africa Cup of Nations

African Nations Championship

African Games

Honours

Regional

• West African Nations Cup
  • Runners-up (4): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986
• WAFU Nations Cup
  • Champions (1): 2011
  • Third place (1): 2013

References

References

1. "Sky Sports | Football News". Home.skysports.com.
2. (2010-01-09). "African Cup of Nations — NoConfusion over Togo death toll".
3. "Kodjovi Obilalé n'est pas décédé des suites de ses blessures (Agence AFP)".
4. Nick Reeves. (2010-01-10). "Togo in dramatic African Nations Cup u-turn". Sydney Morning Herald.
5. (2010-01-11). "Togo officially disqualified from Africa Cup of Nations". BBC.
6. (30 January 2010). "Togo's withdrawal". Confederation of African Football.
7. (30 January 2010). "Togo banned from next two Africa Cups of Nations". BBC.
8. "Togo suspended for next two Africa Nations Cup". Xinhua.
9. "Regulations of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations". Confederation of African Football.
10. (31 January 2010). "Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor slams 'outrageous' ban". BBC Sport.
11. (2010-05-08). "FIFA boss helps lift African Cup ban on Togo".
12. Taylor, Daniel. (2010-04-12). "Emmanuel Adebayor retires from international football after bus attack". The Guardian.
13. "Adebayor returns for Togo".
14. (15 September 2010). "'Fake' Togo football team at Bahrain match being investigated". BBC News.
15. (20 September 2010). "Fake mastermind behind fake Togo team revealed!". Yahoo.
16. Buncombe, Andrew. (29 March 2013). "Dan Tan: the man who fixed football". The Independent.
17. "Final Squad". Fédération Togolaise de Football.
18. "Togo - Record International Players".