LOME, (Reuters) – An assistant coach of Togo’s soccer team has been suspended for three years after he took a group of imposters masquerading as the national side to play a match in Bahrain, the country’s football federation said.
Last week, Togo’s sports federation said it had no knowledge of a friendly that took place between a team representing itself as Togo’s national side and Bahrain on Sept. 7.
“The organisation, the preparation and supervision of the match were planned by (assistant coach) Tchanile Bana,” the football federation said in a statement.
Togo lost the match 3-0.
Bana had already been suspended for two years for organising a match in Egypt in July without the knowledge of Togo’s sports authorities.
Togo’s national team has been beset by problems in recent months. In January while competing in the African Nations Cup in Angola, the team’s bus was attacked by gunmen who killed the driver, the assistant manager and a media officer and injured several others.
