Togo Footballers were ambushed by gunman and fired upon while on their team bus yesterday in Angola where the National side is to participate in the African Cup of Nations.

The attack resulted in the coach driver dying instantly, footballers being shot in the kidney and back and seven backroom staff being injured.

The attack took place while the vehicle crossed from the Republic of Congo into Angola’s oil-rich Cabinda region.

The coach was ferrying the team to the African Cup of Nations, where Togo are due to play Ghana on Monday.

Despite the bloodshed the tournament looks set to go ahead though many footballers are wanting to leave the country.

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Clubs of the Togo team have also expressed their unrest on the issue and have said they will pull their players out if the security is not tightened.

Gonçalves Muandumba is Angola’s sports minister:
“I want to make it clear that the incident is not going to affect the organisation and security of the CAN 2010.”

The rebel group FLEC has claimed responsibility for the carnage. The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda has been engaged in a separatist struggle for decades, but signed up to a ceasefire in 2006.

Manchester City’s high-profile striker Emmanuel Adebayor was unhurt in the violence that lasted several minutes.