Countdown to FIFA World Cup Football 2010-updates
In what is a reversal of one of the most insensitive and cruel decision ever to have been taken by a sporting governing body Togo will have their African Nations Cup ban lifted after FIFA boss Sepp Blatter brokered an agreement with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Zurich on Friday.
Togo withdrew from this year's tournament in Angola after a deadly ambush left two members of their delegation and their bus driver died in the province of Cabinda.
After the attacks, Togo's star player Emmanuel Adebayor announced his retirement from international football in the wake of CAF ban, claiming that the attacks would haunt him for the rest of his life, and subsequently he had no choice but to hang his international boots.
However the influential playmaker can now be persuaded to return. The world was outraged in what went down as one of the most shocking, and disgraceful acts of acrimony as the African football's governing body slapped Togo with a four-year ban, citing that they had not properly withdrawn from the tournament and that the players had been forced home because of the pressure of their government.
The news of the revocation of the ban has been hailed in the country with the technical director of the Togo team Elitsa Kodjo Lanou, saying: "You can imagine the great joy I feel, as technical director of our national team, I can tell you that this is a trampoline for Togolese football and I am very happy for the Togolese sports public and for the entire Togolese football."
On the other hand Sepp Blatter was asked to broker a solution after Togo appealed to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport against the ruling.
The initial decision by the CAF would have kept the Africans out of the continental events in 2012 and 2014 events.
Togo has agreed in return to admit they did not follow proper procedure in place, before withdrawing from the Nations Cup.
Togolese second division football player Adam Mohamed said: "I think the God of football is with us today, because it's a great pride for us to learn that the sanctions will be lifted on Togo. Our football can advance now, we are very proud. Thank you to everyone who went all the way to help solve this situation."
Former Togo player and current president of the Asfosa football club, Amouzou Tete, commented: "I have feelings of joy and hope following this decision to lift the sanction because this will bring trust back into the Togolese football."
The CAF had left Togo out of February's draw for the 2012 Nations Cup qualifiers but have an open berth in one of the groups in which they are expected to place the Togolese.
CAF's executive committees have a meeting scheduled in Cairo next week, where the Togo ban should be formally rescinded.
Meanwhile the Tibetan exiles' football team played for the first time in a local tournament in their adopted homeland, - India's northern Dharamsala.
The 22nd Shaheed Durga Mal Dal Bahadur Memorial Gold Cup Football Tournament is organized in the memory of two Gorkha-Nepali soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for their motherland.
Thirteen teams from different parts of India, including the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) football team, are participating in the five-day long tournament.
The Indian Football Federation hence does not recognize the Tibetan body TNSA General Secretary thinks that the ban is a major impediment in the development of Tibetan exiles' budding players.
"This is a step for us to go for a tournament and then the problem for us is the All India Football Federation, sometime they say we are not allowed to play the Indian league. It's a big problem for us. We have requested the All India Football Federation to give us a chance to play in the Indian domestic tournament," said Kelsang Dhondup.
"Definitely, if All India Football Federation supports the TNSA it will be very helpful in the development of Tibetan national football," added Tashi Tsering, the team's coach.
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