05 February,2010 08:25 AM IST | | AFP
League Cup finalists Aston Villa's Togolese international midfielder Moustapha Salifou admitted yesterday he didn't think any of the squad would survive the gun attack on their coach prior to the start of the Africa Cup of Nations last month.
The 26-year-old was making his first public comments about the attack by a separatist group from the Angolan enclave of Cabinda which left two members of the Togolese backroom staff dead and also claimed the life of the bus driver.
"It was terrifying. The goalkeeper, (Obilade Kossi u2014 who was seriously wounded) had been dancing and the press assistant was taking pictures of him. They were shot," he told the Daily Mail online edition.
"I didn't feel I would make it off the bus alive. I thought everyone was going to die."
Salifou, who along with his teammates were recalled by the Togolese government despite the majority of the players wanting to stay and compete, said that as a result he was barely able to sleep and even when he did manage to get some he has a recurring nightmare. "Since I've been back, I've not slept for days," said Salifou, who signed for Villa from Swiss side FC Wil in 2007 but has found it hard to establish a first team place. "When I do, I wake up at 3am or 4am and somebody is shooting at me."
