Togo Tragedy: the Aftermath

In a bizarre twist to the tragic story of the fatal attack on the Togo national soccer team (note: 3 identical prepositional phrases followed by a similar one; I'm rusty), the African Football Confederation (CAF) banned Togo from playing in the 2012 and 2014 African Nations Cups. Apparently, Togo's decision to pull out of the tournament after being attacked by Angolan terrorists violates Article 78 of the CAF regulations, and automatically results in suspension from the next two competitions.

The decision is a disheartening case of rules and bureaucracy getting in the way of common sense. The CAF is responsible, in part, for the Togo's suffering, as it chose an unstable region for some of the tournament's games and failed to protect the participants properly. Now, the CAF is piling on to Togo's misery by sticking to the letter of the law. Rather than treating Togo with the sympathy it deserves after what its team went through, the CAF is viewing this case without any context. Not only will the Togolese people be deprived by this decision, but the world will also miss out on seeing both the young, talented Togo team perform, and seeing the potentially uplifting story of a Togolese success at the next ANC.