Togo: The People’s Choice

Of all the countries to qualify for this year’s World Cup, Togo might be the most obscure. Perhaps it is this relative lack of recognition or maybe it is the pictures of jubilant Togans (or is it Togians?) dancing in the streets after their team qualified or perhaps it is because everyone loves an underdog. Whatever the reason, Togo might just be this year’s feel-good team; the one that neutral fans rally behind and the one people pull out their atlases to find their country on the map.

So who is on this team that you are probably going to end up rooting for? A good number of the Sparrow Hawks (yes, this is what Togo is called) ply their trade professionally in France. Team captain Jean-Paul Yaovi Abalo (J.P., to his friends) has spent 13 years with Amiens. Keeper Kossi Agassa and midfielder Maman Cherif Toure are fixtures at Metz. Emmanuel Sheri Abebayor is a dangerous playmaker who plays for Monaco.

Up front, 21-year-old strike Emmanuel Sheri Adebayor leads the attack. He scored 11 goals in to pace Togo in a qualifying group that included 2002 qualifiers Senegal.

Togo was placed into Group G and will have its hands full against France, Switzerland and South Korea. While I will not go on as record as predicting their advancement to the second round, I will predict that its appearance will put Togo on the map and that more than once you will refer to them as “toga.” For that reason alone, this summer’s gonna be a party.

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