African Soccer Team Bloodbath

In shock ... Man City ace Emmanuel Adebayor after horrific gun attack

Grief ... striker Adebayor shortly after team aides were killed

Gunned down ... wounded victim is carried to get urgent medical care


By NEIL SYSON and GARY O’SHEA
Published: Today

SOCCER star Emmanuel Adebayor told of his terror last night after 
cowering on his Togo team's
coach as the driver was shot dead and five others wounded - 
two of them players.

The horrified Manchester City striker, 25, said after the attack: 
"They shot at us for 30 minutes -
all we could do was pray to God we'd live."

The squad was ambushed by rebels on their 
way from their Congo training ground to their
African Nations Cup base in host country Angola.

Ambushed .. Adebayor stands behind Villa's Salifou in team picture

Adebayor said: "We've seen one of our team-mates have a bullet in his body, who is crying, who is losing consciousness. We've seen death.

"It's one of the worst things I have ever been through. It was horrific.

"I never thought I'd ever live through an experience like that.

All we had to do was to pray to God to save you.
I think that is what he has done quite well.

"I don't know if I am the target or not, all I know is that my team -
my country - was the target.

Why, I don't know."

Goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, 25, 
and defender Serge Akakpo, 22, were wounded

along with an assistant manager, a doctor and a journalist.

Escape ... Salifou

Aston Villa's Moustapha Salifou, 26, was also on the team bus. 
He was quoted as saying:

"I'm OK but extremely shocked and very upset."

Adebayor had jetted out to join his homeland team for the tournament, 
which starts tomorrow.

The attack fuelled security fears over this summer's 
World Cup in South Africa.

The coach was in a convoy under heavy police escort through

the flashpoint northern territory of Cabinda.

Adebayor said he was still "in shock" and "living in a dream".

He said: "I think without the security 
I wouldn't be here to talking to you,

you'd be talking to my dead body.

"The thing we don't understand is why. 
It's not just one or two guys shooting on the bus.

"We were in the middle of that for 30 minutes. 
I'm not talking five minutes.

"Our bus had been stopped and there was 
shooting on the bus for 30 minutes.

If you can imagine the silence on the bus... 
it was one of the worst experiences I've had in my life

and I hope it is the last."

Adebayor said that after the attack 
the players were ordered off the bus as the driver was dead.

Rebels ... fighting bloody war

He went on: "He had passed away. 
We didn't have anyone to drive the bus.

"We had seven-to-eight 4x4s come. 
We had to get out of the bus and that's where

the shooting was coming from. We didn't want to get off."

The rebels bungled by first opening fire 
on a coach in front carrying the team's bags -

which prevented a massacre. Midfielder Richmond Forson, 29, said:
"That's what saved us.

"Then they fired on our driver and those who were in front.

The windscreen was shattered by the first bullets. 
It's disgusting to take bullets for a football match."

The rebels fled after a gun battle with cops. 
Players were in tears as they got off the coach.

Striker Thomas Dossevi, 30, who plays for French side Nantes, 
said from the hospital where

the entire team was taken: "We were crying and thanking God. 
We were machine-gunned like dogs."

Adebayor said that after the attack "every one" 
of the trembling players called their loved ones.

The star phoned his wife to say: "I'm fine."

Adebayor is calling a meeting to discuss whether 
the team should stay in Angola.

Togo play Ghana on Monday.

Civil war ... where coach was attacked

The £25million star said: "I think a lot of players want to leave,

I don't think they want to be at this tournament any more 
as they have seen their death already.

"Most of the players want to go back to their family. 
No one can sleep after what they have seen.

We are still in shock.

"If the security is not sure then we will be leaving. 
I don't think they will be ready to give their life.

"We will take a decision that we think is good for our career, 
our life and our family."

Midfielder Alaixys Romao, 25, of Swiss side Grenoble, added: 
"No one wants to play.

We're not capable of it."

The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda 
claimed responsibility.

Last night Togolese football federation vice president 
Gabriel Ameyi said the players

should not have made their journey on coaches.

Ameyi said: "They should not have travelled by road.

They did not tell the Confederation of African Football 
that they were travelling by road.

They should have flown to Angola." n.syson@the-sun.co.uk

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2801534/Emmanuel-Adebayor-tells-of-his-terror-after-cowering-on-his-Togo-teams-coach.html#ixzz0c5Dmkh9E