Wigan had gone to a great deal of effort and expense to counter the freak weather conditions around the stadium to ensure today’s fixture with Aston Villa would go ahead. Unfortunately, all that work came to nothing last night as the under soil heating system failed in a major way and could not be fixed. In the end it was left to the elements over night with a pitch inspection in the morning to decide whether the game could go on. It couldn’t and this fixture joined the majority of others in the Premier League program today.

Back in Angola, the relative importance of a game of football is put into perspective by the news that Togo have withdrawn from the African Nations Cup with the death toll among their organisation now up to four three.

It’s been revealed that along with a bus driver known to have been killed yesterday, assistant coach Abalo Ametele and press officer Stan Ocloo have also died. Tragically, Kodjovi Obilale who was reportedly being flown to South Africa yesterday for further emergency treatment, also died as a result of his injuries. I‘m delighted to update this with information that news of his death was very much premature and he’s apparently now conscious.  At the time of writing The Guardian source below was reporting that he had died.  Perhaps his new nickname will be ‘Lazarus’.  Then again, maybe not.

Obviously there’s absolutely no way that Togo could take part in this competition and they’re understandably asking other nations to join them in a boycott.

Recommended reading –

• Togo withdraw from Africa Cup of Nations after deadly gun attack – Guardian
• Africa needs our support more than ever – The Times
• Football Blogs Provide Much Needed Context on Yesterday’s Attack – A More Splendid Life
• Togo, Angola, and the World Cup – Soccerlens
• Sweeper Special: World Reaction to Togo Tragedy – Pitch Invasion

Puts a game cancelled through some pretty freakish weather in England into perspective really.

The OS has Salifou’s account of the attack and it’s scary stuff:-

It was only 15 minutes after we crossed into Angola that the coach came under heavy fire from rebels. The driver of the coach was shot almost immediately and died instantly, so we were just stopped on the road with nowhere to go.

Our security people saved us. They were in two separate cars, about 10 of them in total and they returned fire. The shooting lasted for half an hour and I could hear the bullets whistling past me. It was like a movie.

I know I am really lucky. I was in the back of the coach with Emmanuel Adebayor and one of the goalkeepers. A defender who was sat in front of me took two shots in the back.

The goalkeeper, Obilalé Dodo, one of my best friends, was shot in the chest and stomach area and he has been flown to South Africa to undergo an operation to save his life. [He sadly died later as mentioned above]

It was horrific. Everybody was crying. I couldn’t stay in control myself and I cried when I saw the injuries to my friend.

I don’t know how anyone could do this. We were looking forward to playing football and to being together as a team. None of us can play football now.