Relationships between the Hawks and the managers of the Togolese Football Federation (FTF) have been plagued since 2006 by a bonus row. The players are still waiting to be paid roughly a third of the US$ 162,000 they were promised for reaching the 2006 World Cup finals.
Last Saturday 24 March Togo moved top of Group 9 of the 2008 African Nations Cup qualifiers after defeating Sierra Leone 3-1 in Lome, a match in which ADEBAYOR scored twice, despite he said before the game that the players may boycott the match because of unpaid bonuses. But surprisingly, after that victory strikers Emmanuel ADEBAYOR and Kader COUGBADJA along with defender NIBOMBE DANE were discarded from the national team because "these players made indecent remarks concerning the FTF management," FTF manager Zep KUETE told a local radio.
Actually on Friday 23 March ADEBAYOR said he and his team-mates have yet to receive bonuses promised to them for reaching the 2006 World Cup finals. "The bonus problem is still there. We were given promises but still nothing has been done," said ADEBAYOR. "We are still waiting to see the management, and it is in their interest to meet with us as soon as possible. Whatever happens, we're not going to let this go. If they don't pay up, I don't know what will happen," ADEBAYOR added. Despite he scored two of the three goals for the Hawks, ADEBAYOR is contemplating quitting the Togo national team after receiving death threats prior to Saturday's clash with Sierra Leone. "Before the match, I received threats to my life warning me to play the match or else," said he. "Thank God I scored two goals in this qualifying match against Sierra Leone. I do not know what would have happened to me if I had not scored those goals." He explained that the day before the game he had decided not to play but Togo's coach Stephen KESHI convinced him to rescind his decision. On Saturday he said that after going back to Arsenal he will think about his future, because he has to protect his life and look after his family. He will consult his boss, Arsenal's manager Arsene WENGER as well as members of his family about his future with the Hawks.
Yesterday Monday 26 March Togo Sports minister Richard KWEKU ATTIPOE questioned the decision to sack the three professional players from the national team. The minister expressed his surprise about that decision since the FTF officials asked him to mediate between the FTF and the players, and the former agreed to play on Saturday without any conditions. "With the mediation process still going on, I don't understand why the FTF took the decision to sack the players," ATTIPOE said.
According to the FTF, it will not be able to meet the agreements reached with the players over their bonuses because the payments from FIFA fall below expectations. "The FTF board told me that the World Cup payments received from FIFA are short of what was expected," ATTIPOE told BBC Sport. "So there is the need for us to renegotiate with the players and reach a compromise deal. I will continue to mediate between the FTF and the players for us to reach a deal for peace to return to Togo football."
Samuel MBAJUM
(Sources: BBC Sport, with Godwin EBOW, correspondant in Lomé)
27/03/2007 |
