Part 29 of 32: The Togolese Interview
For part 29 of the series, Scott Fontaine - who has traveled extensively including Africa joins us. He is a sports journalist who has covered events ranging from baseball to rugby to tennis.
I thank Scott for agreeing to the interview.
Tell us a bit about the Road to the World Cup – the qualification, and the emotions the fans went through at the time.
I wasn’t there at the time, but all the reports I read was that people were celebrating more and more with each victory. When the bid was secure, there was partying nationwide.
What do you think Togo’s prospects are at the World Cup?
Not good, but people realize this. Most are content — and surprised — to just have qualified. That being said, if qualifying becomes a trend, I think winning will become an expectation in the future.
Who will be the most important player for your country?
Emmanuel Adebayor. The Arsenal player is head and shoulders above the rest of the competition in Togo, and possibly Africa. He scored 11 goals — the most on the continent — during qualifying, but he can also be a headcase. He’s clashed with managers and other players and pouted when he thinks he doesn’t play enough. Still, when your skill is that great, you get away with a little bit more.
Who are the players to watch from the other countries?
The obvious superstars are there, so I’ll give a couple of African guys to look for: Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, who plays for Chelsea, Bonaventure Kalou and Cyrille Domoraud. For Ghana, Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien are all pretty good. And for Angola, keep an eye out for Fabrice Akwa and Pedro Mantorras.
What will be your excuse in the event of failure?
It’ll be tough to actually “fail” for Togo at this World Cup. Expectations are low and just qualifying has been considered a success.
Have you got the right manager?
I think the former manager, Stephen Keshi, did a fine job, but he butted heads with Adebayor and the team had a dismal showing at the Cup of Nations. Otto Pfister isn’t a bad manager, but Keshi is the one who got the team to the World Cup.
What advice would you give him?
Adebayor is by far the best player on the team, but you need to corral his ego. If not, you might be the next manager heading home.
Which team do you most want to beat?
I think a win against France — almost impossible, but one never knows — would be huge. Not only is France one of the best teams in the world, but it was also the former colonial power. Senegal did it four years ago. Togo could to, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Where will you watch the matches?
TV in US. Sorry that answer isn’t more interesting.
How keenly will the World Cup be followed in Togo?
Being the first time the team has qualified, every one should be watching it. In the United States, not that closely. Still, soccer is growing in popularity, and I suspect far more people will watch this year’s tournament than Japan/Korea four years ago.
Who will be the player of the tournament?
Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. It’s not a chic pick, but the man is a brick wall in the net.
Who will win the Golden Boot?
I’ll go out on a limb and say France’s Djibril Cisse.
Which team will disappoint the most?
I think it will be Germany. I think it will play respectably, but its fans expect a championship at home. They won’t get it.
Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?
The United States. I’m not sure the U.S. will make the finals, but the soccer world has long looked down on the Americans, who have quietly improved over the past decade.
Finally, Who will win the World Cup?
I’ll go with the Brazilians. No one is playing better than them right now. It’s not much of a stretch, but I’ll let them prove me wrong.
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For the rest of the interviews, check out the World Cup interview series page.
Tags: FIFA World Cup 2006, Football Interview Series, Togo Football.
