Former Togo international goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale has spoken about the journey that took him from fulfilling a childhood ambition at the 2006 World Cup to experiencing the tragedy of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations attack.
Obilale discussed his career in an interview published in full by the influential Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. He began by reflecting on representing Togo at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the greatest dream of his footballing life.
“It was a childhood dream that became reality. From a very young age, people in my neighbourhood used to say that one day we would take part in a World Cup, and for me that dream came true,” he said.
“It was an incredible experience. For a 21-year-old footballer to find himself in a stadium filled with tens of thousands of people, with that atmosphere and those cheers, was something I had never experienced before.
“Even though we were eliminated in the group stage, that World Cup represented the culmination of all the years of work and sacrifice for me. For the country, it was an immense source of pride.”
Obilale also recalled the terrorist attack on two buses carrying the Togo delegation to Angola, the host nation for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
The attack killed three people: the driver, the press officer and a technical assistant. The FLEC, the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave, claimed responsibility that same evening.
“These are very bitter memories, and they remain painful,” Obilale said. “I went to that Africa Cup of Nations for the right reasons: to take part in the competition, make an impression and have the opportunity to be noticed by a bigger club.
“Then, on 8 January 2010, we set off for Cabinda. The federation had decided not to travel by plane, so we took the bus to Angola. … I felt a certain anxiety, without really knowing why. I had a feeling that something was going to happen.”
He also returned to the experience of playing on football’s biggest stage.
“Coming out of the tunnel and stepping on to the pitch in a packed stadium, with tens of thousands of people cheering and an overwhelming atmosphere, was something I had never experienced before,” he said.
“To be part of the first Togo national team to play at a World Cup… unforgettable.”
After receiving treatment and undergoing three and a half years of rehabilitation, Obilale went on to undertake training.
