Football
9y

Congo bus breaks down at African Nations Cup, team stranded

BATA, Equatorial Guinea -- Congo's team bus broke down on the way to the remote town of Ebebiyin on Saturday, the latest problem for the squad at the African Nations Cup.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the tournament organisers, confirmed the incident in a brief emailed statement, saying the bus had "a mechanical problem" around 40 kilometers from Ebebiyin.

The team was making the three-hour road trip from Bata to Ebebiyin, in the far northeastern corner of Equatorial Guinea, ahead of Sunday's Group A game against Burkina Faso.

While Congo are on course to have their best African Nations Cup in decades, they have also had plenty of drama off the field.

Le Roy had already complained bitterly about his squad's hotel in Bata, saying it had no running water and dangerously exposed electrical cables.

The French coach also said his team had trouble getting to the stadium in Bata ahead of the opening game against host Equatorial Guinea on Jan. 17. Their bus wasn't given a proper escort and was caught in a traffic jam for over an hour in sweltering heat, and without the air conditioning working, Le Roy said.

Le Roy said local police were laughing at the Congolese players stuck in the gridlock, and the coach criticised CAF for not providing an escort and disrespecting his team.

On Saturday, both Congo and Burkina Faso teams were followed by helicopter on their trip to Ebebiyin, CAF said, as they made their way along the winding road surrounded by dense jungle.

CAF denied media reports that the Congolese players were picked up by buses transporting Burkina Faso's team.

Congo have been one of the surprises of the tournament on their return to the African Cup for the first time in 15 years. Top of the group, they need just a point against Burkina Faso at Ebebiyin Stadium to qualify for the quarterfinals for the first time since 1992.

^ Back to Top ^