The Hawks of Togo have so far failed to get past the group stage of the African Nations Cup in six appearances, but they could well spring a surprise or two as was the case when they qualified for their first World Cup four years ago.
This tiny West African country made their Nations Cup debut in 1972 in Cameroon, but it was not until 12 years later that they staged a return to the competition in Côte d’Ivoire.
They went on to feature at the 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006 editions of the tournament.
The Hawks are drawn in what is regarded as the “Group of Death” along with fellow West African countries Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Côte d’Ivoiret and Ghana are tipped to advance from this group, but in the Ivorian capital city of Abidjan, football observers have been cautious about the chances of Togo in this section as past records have shown they could be a bogey team for the Elephants.
The records show that on all occasions that the Elephants have been pitched in the same first round group at the Nations Cup, Côte d’Ivoire have failed to go beyond the group stages.
In 1984, hosts Côte d’Ivoire were drawn in the same group as Togo, Cameroon and Egypt, and the team ended the first round in third place. In 2000, in Ghana, it was the same as the Elephants finished in third in a group that had hosts Ghana, Cameroon and Togo.
And in 2002 in Mali, the Hawks were drawn with DR Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon and the Elephants finished at the bottom of the group.
Will this trend be extended at Angola 2010?
Togo star player Emmanuel Adebayor issued a warning to the other teams in their group in Angola.
“Togo have a very young team prepared and determined to prove something at the Nations Cup. We may not be the top contenders but it will be dangerous to rule us out. Football has really changed for the better and there are a lot of surprises nowadays,” said the Manchester City striker.
Togo reached Angola 2010 from a qualifying group that included Cameroon, Gabon and Morocco. After a tremendous start beating Cameroon in Accra, Ghana, the Hawks stuttered, losing crucial fixtures but were able to finish on third place with eight points to win qualification.
Adebayor provides the goals and inspiration, but overall Togo do not have the quality or strength in depth as most of their players do not feature in the top leagues around the world.
Moustapha Salifou of Aston Villa could be said to be one a handful of Togolese players at a big club in Europe, but even the midfielder nicknamed “Togolese Zidane” has struggled to pin down a regular place in Martin O’Neil’s side.
Infighting in the football federation has recently forced the appointment of a caretaker committee headed by CAF vice-president, Seyi Memene.
The Hawks, who begin their Angola 2010 campaign against the Black Stars of Ghana on January 11, will certainly not be strong contenders for the title and would have to come up with something really special to come through a tough group. All the same, expect an upset or two from the Hawks inspired by Adebayor. – AFP