After an appeal to FIFA, Togo has been permitted to enter the preliminary competition for the African Nations Cup to be played in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in 2012. FIFA President Sepp Blatter mediated the talks, after which CAF agreed to let Togo in, and the Togolese Federation admitted it hadn’t followed the proper procedure to withdraw from the ANC in Angola after the team bus was attacked by rebels in Cabinda in January.
Here’s what Blatter had to say:
“I am very pleased that we have been able to find a solution which is satisfactory for both parties. Today marks a victory for the whole football family, particularly for African football. This shows that we can solve internal disputes within the football family for the benefit of all those who are involved in our game, and in particular for the players.”
The good news is, Emmanuel Adebaor’s international career is not over. Thanks to Sepp Blatter, champion of African football. Seemed like a simple enough matter, once everyone sat down together. Of course, Equatorial Guinea is not the safest place.