Togo are set to return to the African Cup of Nations after FIFA president Sepp Blatter intervened to resolve the dispute between them and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF banned Togo from the next two Nations Cups following the team's withdrawal from the 2010 edition in Angola. Togo opted to pull out of the tournament after two of their delegation members and the team bus driver were killed by gunmen in an ambush in the province of Cabinda. CAF consequently handed them a four-year ban before Togo lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision. Blatter initiated a mediation to have their suspension, which prompted Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor to retire from international football, lifted. He helped broker an agreement that will see CAF president Issa Hayatou ask the Confederation's executive committee to overturn the sanction. "I am very pleased that we have been able to find a solution which is satisfactory for both parties. Today marks a victory for the whole football family, particularly for African football," Blatter said in a statement. "This shows that we can solve internal disputes within the football family for the benefit of all those who are involved in our game, and in particular for the players." CAF's executive committee meets in Cairo next week, with a formal decision to annul Togo's ban expected.
