That Togo left the African Cup of Nations in Angola even before the first ball was kicked is no news to anyone at this time. That the Togolese contingent was ambushed – at least two innocent people perished in the savage assault – by a separatist rebel group fighting the José Eduardo dos Santos-led Angolan government is no news either. That the Togolese government would instruct its soccer players to return home after that despicable ambush was a decision many soccer pundits applauded, considering the panic and trepidation that the Togolese players would have suffered had they remained in the tournament. So, it is truly outrageous that the Issa Hayatou-superintended Confederation of African Football (CAF) would decide to ban Togo from participating in the next two editions of the biennial tournament! For this faux pas, Issa Hayatou should step down!

Although some members of the Togolese contingent had lost their lives during the horrific attack in the Angolan province of Cabinda, the Togolese players were said to have encouraged one another to remain in the tournament. In spite of the players’ collective wish, the Togolese government felt that it was better to bring the boys home, just in case this vicious rebel group decided to strike again! Even now, I still applaud the Togolese government for its firm decision to withdraw its soccer players, for any “father” would have done the same for his twenty-three “sons.” Is soccer more important than human lives? Is the image of CAF more important than the peace of mind and safety of players at any tourney? Should financial incentives for CAF supersede the safety and wellness of its members’ soccer players? My answer is a resounding “no” to all three questions!

Many people are still angry over CAF’s decision to punish Togo – and these folks are right to feel that way! Why did CAF not punish Angola instead? Was it not Angola that hosted the tournament? Can the Angolan government say in all truthfulness that its intelligence network did not know that the Togolese contingent was coming in by bus through the province of Cabinda? If any country ought to be punished, it should be Angola, for the oil-rich country had failed to provide enough security for a visiting contingent. After all, this particular rebel group carried out the attack in order to hurt the image of the Government of Angola, even if the leaders of the former would later claim that they did not know that the bus in question was carrying the Togolese contingent.

It was reported recently that ECOWAS, the West African regional group, had written to Issa Hayatou a few weeks ago to lift this callous ban, but it appears that Hayatou and his lieutenants are determined to make an example of Togo. Well, ECOWAS, as a political entity, may have tried hard to get the ban lifted without success, but the fact that the Ghanaian president John Atta Mills has also personally appealed to Issa Hayatou to rethink his decision places a lot of pressure on the CAF strongman – and some of us truly hope that this ugly, despicable, insulting ban will be lifted immediately! And Issa Hayatou dare not humiliate the Ghanaian president!

While FIFA, the world’s soccer governing body, detests any type of government interference in soccer administration in its member states, I hope that the Ghanaian government, in support of its Togolese counterpart, would call FIFA’s bluff and pull Ghana out of the next qualifying series for the African Cup of Nations and World Cup, if this turgid Hayatou refuses to budge. After all, principles should supersede financial incentives, and CAF surely cares more about the amount of revenue it generates than anything else!

CAF can preach all it wants about its rules and regulations, but I am sure that the framers of those rules and regulations never anticipated acts of terrorism against any CAF members! Common sense should prevail in this matter, and CAF ought to listen to the many individuals, pressure groups and nations now on Togo’s side in this dilemma. Issa Hayatou must have some compassion for Togo or resign his position as head of CAF! Enough of the obstinacy and arrogance, Issa Hayatou!

The writer, Daniel K. Pryce, holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University, U.S.A. He is a member of the national honor society for public affairs and administration in the U.S.A. He can be reached at dpryce@cox.net.