The executive committee of the African Football Confederation (CAF) on Friday lifted a two-tournament African Cup of Nations ban on Togo. In a statement, the CAF said Friday that the committee had taken the decision at the request of President Issa Hayatou. CAF had earlier banned Togo from competing in the next two editions of the showpiece of African football after the team withdrew from this year's competition in Angola. The team withdrew after a deadly ambush by Cabinda separatists on the team bus left the assistant coach, as well as the media officer dead. A number of players and several other members of the delegation were injured in the attack injured. Togo had then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and after a mediation process involving the president of football's governing body FIFA, it was decided that Hayatou would request his executive to allow Togo to participate. The CAF statement said that Togo had admitted they made a mistake in leaving the tournament without informing CAF of their decision. "The Togolese delegation officially recognized its forfeit from the 27th edition of the African Cup of Nations as not having been legitimate and having been an infraction to the CAF regulations." CAF also decided to declare a general amnesty for all ongoing sanctions, with the exception of those imposed as a result of physical aggression against a referee or an official. "President Hayatou indicated that on the eve of such an important event as the organization of the World Cup on our continent, different actors, particularly players conducive to the selection of South Africa as a venue should take part and benefit from the occasion of this great football feast which is organized on African soil," the statement said.
