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| June 11, 2006 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 14, 1427 |
Togo coach quits over pay
WANGEN, June 10: Assistant coach Kodjovi Mawuena took charge of Togo's national team on Saturday after Otto Pfister surprisingly quit overnight in a World Cup pay dispute between officials and the debutant squad.
Mawuena found himself hastily promoted for at least one match after German-born Pfister said the players' wages row left him unable to do his job and signalled that he would not change his mind.
Togo's players have demanded 155,000 euros ($196,200) each to play in the World Cup plus 30,000 each per win and 15,000 per draw. Officials from the small West African country said it was too much money.
“I have resigned without notice. The players boycotted (three closed) training sessions and with that my basis to work has been removed,” Pfister said on Saturday. “It has destroyed a dream of my life.”
Pfister said he would not return to the negotiating table and did not blame the players but Togo's football association.
Meanwhile, Togolese officials were left in chaos.
Team manager Larsen Dobou said Pfister could return if he wanted to.
“Last night, an earthquake shook our preparations. Therefore everything is in a bit of chaos now,” Dobou said in a news conference. “It is a shame that we are talking about money, not football.”
Mawuena, who already conducted his first training session this morning, now has three days before World Cup debutants Togo open their Group G campaign against South Korea in Frankfurt.
There had been talk that Togo's star player Emmanuel Adebayor may boycott the new coach in support of Pfister and that some players had gone to Switzerland this morning to convince Pfister, who has a home in Zurich, to return.
Pfister guided Saudi Arabia through the France 98 World Cup qualifiers but was dismissed before the finals as he said he would not allow Saudi princes to meddle in his team decisions.
Pfister, who has spent much of his life globetrotting, coaching eight different countries before Togo, replaced Stephen Keshi on a short-term contract after Togo's poor performance at the African Nations Cup at the start of the year.
The team failed to score a goal in those finals.—Reuters
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