Cash row stops Togo trip to Egypt
Keshi's side open their Group B campaign on Saturday
Togo's Nations Cup preparations have been thrown into turmoil in a row over bonus money.
The national squad was supposed to leave the Togolese capital Lome to fly to Egypt on Tuesday night but the Hawks never got off the ground as they wrangled with the federation over money.
The players are seeking a bonus of around US$40,000 per person and they say they will not get on the plane until this demand has been met.
"They were asking for the money for qualifying for the African Cup of Nations - as some kind of morale booster," Togo coach Stephen Keshi told BBC Sport.
"I hope the federation and the government can bail me out. I know they are really trying their best to make the boys happy.
"This is out of my hand - they just have to sort it out themselves."
Although the coach tried to play down the row as 'no big deal', he did admit it had affected his team's warm-up for Egypt 2006.
"The bonus crisis has affected the focus of my players for the past two days," he explained.
"I think the authorities can handle the situation and let the players fly out for Egypt at least by Wednesday evening."
A special 9-member commission has been created by the government to deal with the negotiations.
One member of the Togolese squad told BBC Sport that although the commission had offered around US$20,000, this had been rejected by the players.
The Togo delegation can ill afford a further delay to their departure for Cairo, because they open their Group B campaign against DR Congo in the Egyptian capital on Saturday.
The Hawks, who attended a training session in Lome on Tuesday despite the problems, will also face Cameroon and Angola in Group B.
- BBC
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2 commentaires:
C'est tres triste que les Eperviers du Togo sont toujours a Lome cause des prime a deux jours du debut de CAN2006.
Le Conseil des ministres s’est réuni mercredi à la Présidence en présence du chef de l’Etat, Faure Gnassingbé (photo). Première bonne nouvelle, chaque membre de l’équipe des Eperviers recevra une prime de 10 millions CFA lors de la CAN plus un bonus de 3 millions par joueur pour chaque match gagné. S’agissant des 900 Togolais qui n’on pu se rendre cette année au pèlerinage de la Mecque, le président Gnassingbé a donné des instructions pour que les personnes lésées soient remboursées.
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