A tense exchange pitted Patrice Neveu, the Togo head coach, against journalist Espoir Gato during the presentation of the Sparrowhawks squad. FTF president Guy Kossi Akpovy expressed his regret and apologised to media professionals.
The press conference to announce the Sparrowhawks squad for the double header against Algeria turned into a confrontation. On Tuesday 3 November 2026, Patrice Neveu, the Togo head coach, and Espoir Gato, a journalist with Nana FM, clashed during the event, CSPORTS INFOS reports. The tension did not die down at the end of the exchanges with the media.
The episode went beyond the press room. The president of the Togolese Football Federation, Colonel Guy Kossi Akpovy, reacted publicly, just days before the Sparrowhawks’ matches against Algeria.
A confrontation that dragged on
According to CSPORTS INFOS, the exchange between the head coach and the Nana FM journalist took place amid tension during the squad announcement. The dispute did not end when the room emptied: the source indicates that the tension continued after the press conference.
The available information does not specify the exact content of the words exchanged, nor the circumstances of what followed the incident. It stops at the observation of a tense exchange, followed by tension that persisted after the conference.
The FTF apologises
The FTF president expressed his regret and apologised to media professionals, again according to CSPORTS INFOS. Colonel Guy Kossi Akpovy recalled the essential role of the press and its right to ask questions, even the most awkward ones.
“I hope that this incident, regrettable as it is, will not weaken relations between football stakeholders and the media,” the federation official said, as quoted by CSPORTS INFOS.
Algeria in sight
The incident comes as Togo prepare for the double header against Algeria, scheduled for 14 and 17 November 2026, in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The FTF president called for calm and for everyone to rally behind the Sparrowhawks ahead of these two fixtures. No reaction from Patrice Neveu or the Algerian Federation has been reported at this stage.