Group G
Switzerland 2, Togo 0Togo slumped out of the World Cup with a 2-0 loss to Switzerland on Monday, blaming its rapid exit on bad refereeing and the turmoil that has engulfed the squad.
The Sparrow Hawks trail in fourth place without a point in Group G after the Swiss defeat and last week's 2-1 loss to South Korea. They next face France, which is fighting for survival after its disappointing draws against Switzerland and South Korea.
PHOTO: AFP
The players said they feared Friday's match would be even tougher than the Swiss game, but said they were determined to put on a show.
"We don't want to leave with zero points," Robert Malm said. "We want to score some points. For the honor of Togo."
The team, ranked 61st in the world, put up a surprisingly spirited performance in the first half.
PHOTO: EPA
It was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when star forward Emmanuel Adebayor was apparently bought down in the penalty area by Patrick Mueller.
Adebayor protested in vain but Paraguay referee Carlos Amarilla was deaf to his appeals.
The Arsenal forward stormed out after the match without speaking to journalists, still clearly angry about the decision.
PHOTO: EPA
"I shouldn't criticize a referee because you get into trouble immediately," Togo coach Otto Pfister said.
Gloom and anger descended over Lome, Togo's capital, where the government had declared a half-day holiday to allow people to watch the match.
"Our boys played well but were robbed by the referee," fan Patrick Amouzou said. "He ignored penalties for Togo. I do not know whether they have something against African teams."
After watching video replays, even Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn conceded that a penalty should have been awarded.
Togo struggled without its suspended captain Jean-Paul Abalo, who got two yellow cards in the first match, and injured defender Ludovic Assemoassa.
Still, forwards Emmanuel Adebayor and Mohamed Kader launched repeated attacks against the Swiss defense but failed to finish when it mattered.
The African team came into the match after a bruising dispute over pay. Togo had threatened to boycott the encounter with Switzerland over player bonuses, but finally settled its dispute with the soccer federation a day before the match.
Earlier, Pfister had quit but returned hours before his team played South Korea in its opening match.
"The players gave 100 percent, but when you have problems of that kind for weeks, it does have an influence on your nerves," Pfister said.
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