Togo national football team was left frustrated after being held to a 1-1 draw by the Central African Republic during an international friendly played as part of the FIFA international window on Friday, June 5.
The Hawks produced a spirited second-half performance and created several opportunities but were unable to turn their dominance into victory, leaving head coach Patrice Neveu with plenty to reflect on ahead of the team’s next assignment.
Despite controlling large spells of the game, Togo found themselves trailing midway through the first half after the Central African Republic struck against the run of play.
The Hawks had enjoyed more possession and territorial advantage during the opening exchanges, but it was the Wild Beasts who took the lead in the 26th minute through Koyalipou.
The goal came as a surprise considering Togo’s control of the contest.
However, the West Africans struggled to convert their possession into clear-cut chances before the break and headed into halftime trailing by a single goal.
Determined to respond, Togo returned for the second half with renewed energy and purpose.
Their persistence paid off when striker Kevin Denkey brought the Hawks level. The forward applied a clinical finish after being set up by Karim Dermane, restoring parity and giving Togo momentum.
The equaliser transformed the match, with Togo pushing aggressively in search of a winner.
Patrice Neveu introduced Djibril Bastou, Faad Sana and Arnaud Komlanvi in an attempt to inject further attacking impetus into his side.
The changes helped increase the tempo of Togo’s play as they repeatedly threatened the Central African Republic defence.
Statistics from the match reflected Togo’s growing influence. The Hawks enjoyed 54.2% possession compared with 45.8% for their opponents and consistently found ways to penetrate the Central African Republic penalty area.
However, the final touch proved elusive.
Several promising attacks ended with efforts drifting wide or being comfortably dealt with by the opposing goalkeeper. While Togo were able to create pressure and sustain attacks, they lacked the efficiency required to turn their dominance into goals.
The Central African Republic, meanwhile, appeared content to protect the point after taking the lead. Following their opening goal, they spent much of the game sitting deeper and restricting space, making it difficult for Togo to find a decisive breakthrough.
In the end, both sides settled for a draw, though the result is likely to leave the Hawks feeling they could have taken more from the encounter.
For Togo, the match served as another opportunity to build cohesion and assess the squad during the international break.
Yet it also highlighted areas that require improvement, particularly in front of goal.
