Soccer, the national sport
Led by the best player in the history of Togolese soccer, Emmanuel Adebayor (who has played for Monaco and English clubs Arsenal and Manchester City), the Sparrowhawks had their moment of glory in 2006 when they participated in the World Cup for the first time (and only time to date). During the German World Cup, the Togolese selection will find itself underdog in a group also composed of South Korea, Switzerland and France. After defeats against the South Koreans (2-1) and the Swiss (2-0), the Togolese will also lose against the French of Zinedine Zidane (2-0) who then absolutely need a victory to qualify. The French will continue their road to the final and the cruel defeat against Italy. As for Togo, although eliminated in the group stage, the team has then thrilled a whole people during these historic games and reached the best FIFA ranking in its history (46th place).
Unfortunately, the Togolese team will also experience the worst, when it is the victim of an attack in the enclave of Cabinda, on the Angolan border, while traveling to its first match of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2010. The Togolese bus was machine-gunned by rebels and two people were killed: Amélété Abalo, the assistant coach, and Stanislas Ocloo, the team's press officer. The attack was later claimed by the FLEC-Military Position independence fighters. A tragedy that traumatized a team that will eventually refuse to take part in the competition and cause the international retirement of Adebayor (despite a brief return the following year).
Since then, the main feat of the Sparrowhawks is the quarter-final of the CAN 2013, where they got rid of Algeria and Tunisia in the group stage, before falling to Burkina Faso in extra time (1-0). The best result of the country at the continental level. From now on, a new beautiful generation is expected
Awale, the traditional leisure activity
Awale is a very popular leisure activity in the country. It is a board game played by all Togolese, young and old. This strategy game, which is similar in many ways to backgammon, is played with a board made up of two hollow half-logs with six holes each, containing pebbles or seeds. The aim is to take as many of the opponent's seeds as possible. The awale, in different variants, exists throughout West Africa. Moreover, the awale carved in wood are often very nicely decorated and can be very beautiful pieces of handicraft to slip into your suitcase before leaving
Lounging, swimming and deep-sea fishing
Togo's coastline, which stretches over 56 km, is a source of leisure that has many followers. What a pleasure to stroll between the coconut trees to the rhythm of the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, just a few steps from the bustle of the capital! Indeed, the big market is very close, and the autonomous port of Lomé is full of activity. But the coastline extends peacefully to the Beninese border, between coconut groves and typical fishing villages. Beyond the port, there are the close suburbs of the capital and the seaside villages of Baguida and Avepozo, where several beaches are developed (the most beautiful of the coast). These beaches are very popular with the locals on weekends. They are particularly lively on Sundays, for sunbathing to the rhythm of music, dances, soccer games or beach volleyball. Be careful, as far as swimming is concerned, it is possible to take a dip in some places, but most of the time the sea is quite dangerous and there is a lot of current: for experienced swimmers mainly (otherwise prefer the numerous swimming pools of the hotels of the capital, like the mythical Olympic swimming pool of the Sarakawa hotel).
The rest of the time, you can go for quiet walks and discover the traditional fishing scenes. Finally, a few kilometers further, at the level of Kpessi and Agbodrafo, there is Lake Togo which also offers many opportunities for relaxation and recreation: water sports, dugout canoe rides, fishing ..
Fishing. If you can attend many traditional fishing parties, deep-sea fishing is a possible activity on the Togolese coast. Several professionals offer their services to tourists who like to fish for a day or a half-day, on boats of 4 to 6 people. In order to try to catch swordfish, tuna, jacks, captains, barracudas..
Whale watching. Between late August and mid-November, humpback whales can be seen from the Togolese coast. They migrate at this time in the Gulf of Guinea from their feeding grounds in Antarctica. To see them at a few meters, you have to go to sea and move a few miles away. The structure 1001 Pistes organizes these sea trips. A serious agency that can also offer you kayak trips on Lake Togo or mountain bike trips throughout the country
On land, hiking and nature walks
Togo offers an exceptional avifauna and flora, suitable for beautiful hikes and other naturalist walks. Several agencies and structures propose hikes in the middle of nature, including the organization 1001 Pistes (again), directed by a couple of French scientists. In the maritime region, in addition to the whales in the open sea, the Mono valley and the Aného region present a very beautiful biodiversity and some remarkable ecosystems such as mangroves and one can meet birds, crocodiles and hippopotamuses (in the Tabligbo region). In the Plateaux region, the surroundings of Kpalimé offer many possibilities for hiking and walking to discover the fauna and flora of the Togolese rural world and nice baths under superb natural waterfalls. In the central region, there are safaris, while the Kara region offers the splendid mountainous landscapes of Mount Kabyé and Mount Défalé. Finally, in the Savannah region, there are walks in the reserves
