Source: Daily_Mail
Essien flies into Angolan death zone as Adebayor and Togo are forced home
Michael Essien remained defiant in the face of the terror attack on Togo by flying out to spearhead Ghana's challenge in the Africa Cup of Nations.[LNB] On a day when Emmanuel Adebayor and his grief-stricken Togo team-mates flew home from war-torn Cabinda, Chelsea midfielder Essien travelled to Angola to join his colleagues. Some of them were reported as wanting to back Togo by pulling out of the tournament, but they were ordered to stay on.[LNB] Riding shotgun: Angola security forces give a helicopter escort to the Togo team[LNB] Ghana's captain was always planning to join his team-mates late after staying behind with Chelsea for treatment on a hamstring injury. [LNB]Ghana had been due to open their campaign by playing Togo in Cabinda today. They are still expected to play their Group B match there on Friday against Didier Drogba and his Ivory Coast colleagues.[LNB] A number of Premier League clubs had expressed concern about the safety of their players after the terror attack on the Togo team bus left at least three people dead and others seriously injured. [LNB] Defiant: Ghana's Michael Essien (right)[LNB]Phil Gartside, the Bolton chairman and a senior member of the Football Association board, said: 'The players should be brought home, as safety is paramount.'[LNB] But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believed the competition should still be staged - because calling it off 'rewards the wrong people and provokes further incidents' - and Essien clearly agreed. [LNB]This is despite a threat yesterday of more attacks by rebel groups responsible for the killings.[LNB] Homeward bound: Togo's players at Cabinda airport on Sunday[LNB] It emerged last night that Togo sports minister Christophe Tchao had asked for the team's place in the tournament to remain open, suggesting they might return after three days of mourning. [LNB]'We have asked the CAF to find an arrangement so we can catch up with the competition later,' he said.[LNB] The FA, meanwhile, will hold further talks with FIFA today before deciding whether they consider it safe to send Franco Baldini on a scouting mission to Angola. [LNB]Fabio Capello's right-hand man plans to check on the Algeria team England will meet in the first round of the World Cup as well as the other African teams due in South Africa.[LNB] Last night the tournament got under way with an astonishing 4-4 draw between Angola and Mali. The hosts were 4-0 up with 11 minutes to go, but Mali secured a point in the last minute of time added on.[LNB] Unbelievable: Mali's players celebrate their last-minute equaliser against Angola[LNB] Before the start, the 50,000 crowd in Luanda's 11th of November National Stadium stood in solemn silence and mourned the dead. Then the noise levels rose again and the game began.[LNB] It is a sad indication of how accustomed they are to tragedy in this part of the world that, but for that one minute of silence, the supporters carried on as if the killing of three Togolese had never happened.[LNB] [LNB] In the tunnel, the Angola players embraced. They included striker Manucho, once of Manchester United, and Leeds defender Rui Marques. Lining up alongside them in the white of Mali was ex-Tottenham and West Ham striker Fredi Kanoute.[LNB] The players were introduced to Angolan dignitaries, who were shadowed by a member of the military. Behind them, during the national anthems, youngsters held up banners proclaiming 'My Game is Fair Play'. It seemed a hopelessly irrelevant message now. [LNB] Emmanuel Adebayor: We wanted to play for the honour of our dead team-matesAngola 4 Mali 4: Hosts surrender four-goal lead in last 11 minutesTogo are returning home from the Africa Cup of Nations, says captain Emmanuel AdebayorPremier League stars to flee Africa: Emmanuel Adebayor pulls out as terror attack leaves three deadMartin Samuel: Rape and murder are rife... to guarantee safety was deceitful[LNB] [LNB]
