Reports claimed the Togo players had voted to continue in the tournament despite an earlier decision to withdraw as the death toll from the attack reportedly rose to three.

Togo's team bus came under machine-gun fire on Friday just after it had crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo into the Angolan enclave of Cabinda.

Togo are due to face Ghana in their opening Group B match tomorrow in Cabinda, but government spokesperson Pascal Bodjona told reporters: "We can't continue in these dramatic circumstances in the African Nations Cup. It was necessary because our players are in shock."

Ghana appear ready to go ahead with tomorrow's match, with a statement today on www.ghanafa.org reading: "The Ghana Football Association says the Black Stars will be competing in Cabinda when the African Cup of Nations group matches kick off on Monday despite events of the past two days.

"Ghana's team at the competition has been assured of total security in the wake of last Friday's terror attack on group opponents, Togo."

The Togo players, meanwhile, seem to be of a different mind to their government, with midfielder Alaixys Romao and forward Thomas Dossevi both revealing the team's intent to stay on in memory of the dead and injured.

Romao told L'Equipe: "We have all just met and we will be on the pitch to play against Ghana on Monday.

"People died for this African Nations Cup, others were injured.

"We cannot abandon them and go like cowards.

"If we stay here it is for them. But also so as not to satisfy the rebels.

"Our government does not necessarily agree with us but we are all determined to play in this tournament. The decision was taken unanimously."

Dossevi concurred, saying: "We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men."

Romao today claimed Chelsea's Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba was "not ready" to play in the competition.

"Drogba said he was fully aware of the psychological state he was in, and he too was not ready to play this CAN," the Grenoble player added.

"It is now hoped that other teams will show solidarity."

Team-mate Assimiou Toure has spoken of his terror at the attack and revealed he could only pray he and his colleagues would get out alive.

The 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen player told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "It was horrible. I was scared to death.

"The driver and two others on the bus were hit in their lower body and others got bullets in their calf.

"They have undergone surgery and are in intensive care.

"Nothing happened to me. Thank God I was sat in the penultimate row at the back. They shot at the front of the bus."

The Togo team had ignored warnings to arrive in Angola by plane and instead travelled by coach with an army escort.

The escort, according to Toure, prevented a massacre.

"We were coming from the Congo and were only about 10 minutes away from the Angolan border with our two buses," he explained.

"In the middle of the forest, we were suddenly ambushed and shot at.

"We were fortunate - they absolutely peppered the first bus with bullets, probably thinking that we were all sitting in there, but that was only our luggage.

"The whole thing lasted about half an hour. We had an escort and they shot back and kept the attackers in check and called for assistance.

"If the army had not been there, then none of us would be alive now.

"All I could do was jump under my seat and pray."

The separatist group The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), which were reported to have claimed responsibility for the attack, have now denied they carried it out.

When contacted in the early hours as to whether Togo would continue in the tournament, a spokesman for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said: "I don't know, I am not aware so far.

"I've not heard any communication."

The apparent u-turn comes hours after CAF president Issa Hayatou insisted any decision to withdraw would be accepted, although he did not officially confirm Togo's departure.

Hayatou met with Angola president Jose Eduardo dos Santos yesterday and received assurances security would be increased for the tournament, which begins today when the hosts meet Mali.

Following the meeting, Hayatou flew to Cabinda to meet the Togo and Ghana players as well as the Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast teams who make up Group B, accompanied by almost the entire executive members of CAF, the general secretary and the executive director of COCAN, the organisers of the 2010 competition.

When addressing the Togo squad, Hayatou spoke of the tragedy and stressed they had a difficult choice to make.

"We are in a deep shock following the tragic incident that happened to our Togolese brothers and friends," said Hayatou on the CAF website, www.cafonline.com.

"You came here to play football but unfortunately two of your brothers were killed.

"I am feeling terribly bad and short of words.

"It is left to you to decide to stay in a competition synonymous of fraternity, brotherhood, friendship and solidarity.

"And in case you decide to leave the competition, we will definitely understand your decision and it will be accepted."

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togo captain, was on board, as was Aston Villa midfielder Moustapha Salifou while a host of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea and Arsenal, have players competing at the tournament.

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