Togo Afcon ban set to be lifted
Togo will return to the African Cup of Nations through a peace deal brokered by Fifa president Sepp Blatter in Zurich on Friday.
Blatter persuaded African Football Confederation officials to withdraw a two-tournament ban they imposed on Togo after it left the 2010 finals following an attack on the team bus by Angolan gunmen.
The Togolese Football Federation had filed an appeal against this decision by the CAF with CAS, and both parties had agreed to meet under the mediation of the Fifa president.
According to the agreement, CAF president Issa Hayatou agreed to ask his executive committee to lift the sanction excluding the Togo from the next two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. Togo in turn agreed that it had not communicated to CAF the withdrawal of its team from the Africa Cup of Nations Angola 2010 in accordance with the competition regulations.
Togo also acknowledged that the CAF executive committee had taken its decision of 30 January in application of the relevant regulations.
“I am very pleased that we have been able to find a solution which is satisfactory for both parties. Today marks a victory for the whole football family, particularly for African football.
This shows that we can solve internal disputes within the football family for the benefit of all those who are involved in our game, and in particular for the players,” said the Fifa president after the meeting.
“Considering the emotional circumstances surrounding this case, it was very important for the parties to find a reasonable solution in order to put an end to their dispute.
This is good news for the players of the Togolese team as well as for CAS, which has been able to bring this mediation to a successful conclusion,” added Matthieu Reeb, secretary general of CAS.