After the disappointing defeat against Uganda which led to Togo’s unsuccessful bid in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, many sports experts have commented on the match and on the Togolese football in general. They point out some reasons responsible for the loss and suggest measures that can help the game grow and develop in the country.
For a talented team, it is another disappointment. But there is a problem, and I think that it is at the top. The football administration is in disarray. There is no hope of winning when there is no coordination. Prior to the match, there were issues in the Normalization Committee and conflict in the ranks of the players.
Such was the players’ complaints, including one on the kits. Practicing wi
th Puma attires, they were dressed in a different brand’s outfit hours before the contest. Besides that, the trainer was tactically pixelated and could not even comprehend what his players could do. There was disconnection between the players, and they exhibited no desire for qualification.
It is not surprising that they have been eliminated as there was no preparation done in advance in order to ready the players for such important games. The players did not have the right attitude and it was clear they were not motivated to perform. The same could be said of the coach who could not motivate, train or orchestrate the players in such a manner as to form a unit.
There is need for all parties to get involved, assess the situation and strive for the same objective. Progress is impossible in the absence of cooperation. It is important that the state gets involved in the provision of remedies.
In the first leg, the team was weak in the first half before improving, thanks to Segbefia Prince in the second half. But to be honest, I do not agree with the coach’s choices in the second leg. To save the Togolese football, the D1 championship should be active again and the good players put on the pitch. I also believe that some of these baffling decisions should be addressed by the assistant coach and the goalkeeper coach.
Losing the match is a disgrace to the nation. Who has come up with very small history of football Uganda has practically gone a head of to Togo where they have already eliminated Togo. It is a call that Togo’s football management is hard in the need of strategic change. The Togolese Football Federation (FTF) needs to be restructured and new leaders who care about the players and the growth of the sport put in place.