Togo team bus attacked in Angola

Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor is a member of the Togo squad (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor escaped unharmed after a bus carrying the Togo national team came under attack from gunfire in Angola.

The Sparrow Hawks are in the country ahead of the African Nations Cup, which gets under way on Sunday.

According to reports, at least three Togo players and the bus driver suffered injuries during the attack. Some reports suggest the driver was killed.

A statement posted on City's official website, www.mcfc.co.uk, this evening read: "Manchester City can confirm that striker Emmanuel Adebayor is uninjured after this afternoon's attack on the Togo team bus in Angola.

"Club officials have spoken with Adebayor and though shaken by the terrible events, he is unharmed."

Togo are scheduled to begin their cup campaign against Ghana on Monday, but their participation in the tournament now looks in serious doubt.

Togo and Nantes striker Thomas Dossevi told French radio station RMC: "I'm okay but several players are in a bad state.

"We are still at hospital. We were machine-gunned like dogs and had to remain hidden under our seats for around 20 minutes to avoid the bullets."

Midfielder Alaixys Romao admits the players feared the worst and thinks Togo are now likely to pull out of the tournament.

"We're not thinking yet of what could happen," said Romao, who plays his club football for Grenoble.

"But it's true that no-one wants to play.

"We're not capable of it.

"We're thinking first of all about the health of our injured because there was a lot of blood on the ground.

"For the moment there is not much news because they have been taken to different hospitals.

"In cases like these we're thinking of those near us, of those we love because that really could have been the end of us."

Aston Villa confirmed that their 26-year-old midfielder Moustapha Salifou was "shaken but okay" following the attack.

Midfielder Richmond Forson believes the number of injuries could have been much worse had the gunmen not originally fired on the wrong bus.

"It was the bus carrying our baggage which was in front of us which they fired on the most," he told Canal Plus. "They thought we were in the bus in front.

"Fortunately for us. That's what saved us.

"Then they fired on our driver and those who were in front. The windscreen was shattered by the first bullets.

"It's disgusting to take bullets for a football match."

Dossevi later gave more details about the attack.

He added: "We had just crossed the border five minutes before, we were surrounded by police buses, one in front of us another behind.

"Everything was fine and then there was a powerful burst of gunfire.

"Everyone threw themselves under the seats and tried to protect themselves but some couldn't escape the bullets.

"It lasted a good 15 minutes, the police fired back but really, it was hard to handle and it still is now. I'm shocked.

"When we got off the bus we were asking ourselves why us and not others? We were asking ourselves what had happened, we were crying and thanking God."