During a press conference held on Thursday in Lomé, Togo Head Coach Paulo Duarte unveiled a list of 27 players. If the regular players are present (Barcola, Djene, Laba, Romao, Placca), the Portuguese technician has chosen to recall Floyd Ayité, 34, who had not appeared in the team for more than a year. The midfielder from Valenciennes (French Ligue 2) should bring his experience to a group that is rebuilding with young players.
Present at a gathering in Antalya (Turkey) last March, 6 U23 players made the list. These are goalkeepers Steven Mensah and Youssouf Morou, the only player playing in Togo on the list, defenders Nadir Ayeva and Steven Nador, midfielders Karim Dermane from Feyenoord and Samsondin Ouro.
After missing two consecutive AFCONs (2019, 2021), Togo swear by a return to the most beautiful of continental competitions in Côte d’Ivoire in 2023. And it starts on June 3 wihen they welcome Eswatini at the Kegue stadium in Lomé, before an away trip to Marrakech on June 7 to face Cape Verde.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Malcolm Barcola (Lyon, France), Steven Mensah (Hambourg, Allemagne), Youssouf Morou (Dyto)
Defenders: Klousseh Agbozo (Abu Salem, Libye), Frédéric Ananou (Paderborn, Allemagne), Youssifou Atte (Legon Cities, Ghana), Nadir Ayeva (Orebro Syrianska, Suède), Loïc Bessile (Charleroi, Belgique), Kennedy Boateng (Santa Clara, Portugal), Dakonam Djene (Getafe, Espagne), Emmanuel Hackman (Gil Vicente, Portugal), Steven Nador (Spal, Italie),
Midfielders: Franco Atchou (Erbil, Iraq), Samuel Asamoah (U Craoiva, Roumanie), Floyd Ayité (Valenciennes, France), Karim Dermane (Feyenoord, Pays-Bas), Gnama Akate (Al Naft, Iraq), Samsondin Ouro (NS Mura, Slovenie), Alaixys Romao (Ionikos, Grèce), Marouf Tchakei (AS Vita Club, RD Congo)
Forwards: Kevin Denkey (Cercle Brugge, Belgique), David Henen (KV Kortrijk, Belgique), Thibault Klidje (Girondins de Bordeaux, France), Kodjo Laba (Al Ain, Emirats arabes unis), Richard Nane (Hafia, Guinée), Serge Nyuiadzi (Ordabasy, Kazakhstan), Euloge Placca (Al Tadamon, Koweit)
