If Togo wanted to play, their government shouldn't have stopped them.

Togo's players have returned home after the deadly rebel gun attack on their bus. Final bids by Africa Cup of Nations organizers to convince them to stay fell on deaf ears.

But Togo's squad wanted to stay on to honour those killed in the attack as their government prepared to withdraw them. They left their camp in Cabinda, Angola late Sunday night.

But Confederation of African Football spokesman Kodzo Samlan told the Associated Press he spoke to the players and "they confirmed they want to play". He said "the players understood that they had to play to honour the dead". Three people were killed and eight injured in the ambush on Friday.

Football should have won this decision. If Togo's players and tournament organisers wanted them to stay, then stay they should have. On a very bad day for sport, it was politics and terrorism which prevailed.

Sport's being eroded by the threat of terror slowly but surely. We've already seen the Indian Premier League moved to South Africa and a threat from England to withdraw from the Comonwealth Games in the autumn due to security fears.

Football should have stood firm. Now every major sports event will be compromised by issues of security and mere threats of terrorism. This decision was bigger than football, bigger than sport. Now a cloud hangs over every international sports event into the forseeable future.

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Adebayor should be banned and fined heavily

As fans we've had to suffer frequent acts of petulant posturing from itinerant, ignorant footballers in the Premier League years. But we've surely not seen as disgusting a show as at Eastlands on Saturday involving Emmanuel Adabayor.

The Manchester City striker was facing up to his former Arsenal teammates for the first time since his big-money move in the summer, and even before kick-off he seemed intent on looking for trouble.

In drawing blood from his one-time strike partner Robin van Persie by raking his studs across the Dutchman's cheek, Adebayor showed what a low-life scumbag he truly is. Admittedly, van Persie did go in with a rumbustuous tackle which up-ended the giant Togolese striker - but it was merely a challenge in the context of the rough-and-tumble that is Premier League competition.

Adebayor's retaliatory action certainly was not.

Then after scoring, Adebayor sprinted a full ninety yards to taunt Arsenal's visiting support. Unsurprisingly, it sparked off unrest among the travelling contingent. Missiles and insults were hurled - and you can't blame the fans for doing it.

I only wish a Gooner had got onto the pitch and landed one on Adebayor's hooter. Instant natural justice would have been administered and we would have had to say no more about it.

But unfortunately that didn't happen. Now the Premier League, the FA or even Manchester City should take action. Something that'll bring order and respect back to the game. Like a half-million pound fine and a twelve-match ban. What Adebayor did is just not on.

His two headline grabbing actions will live long in the memory and if English football's to maintain some sort of integrity, the powers that be should severely censure him.

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Is The Wenger Project reaching its Autumn?

"In Arsene We Trust", proclaims the fan's flag permanently stationed behind the goal at The Emirates. It's partly a tribute to the Esteemed Professor of the Highbury renaissance and partly a prayer from the faithful hoping he can restore the Gunners' falling star.

And in recent years, faith is all Arsenal fans have. Faith that Arsene Wenger can restore the club to prominence in the English game. The gleaming new trophy cabinet in the gleaming new stadium is bare. The truth is with each passing season, the Gunners are slipping further behind Manchester United and Chelsea.

A boardroom who's only joint position seems to be in repelling the takeover bid by Usmanov and Dein, Arsenal's development is as achingly slow as that of Theo Walcott's.

The Emirates stands as a monument to better times. Once they had a settled board with a clear destiny buoyed by years of Doubles and cup success. Sure, the stadium propels the club into the big league and a chance to compete with anyone in the coming decades.

But what of now?

What chance does the Professor have of building a winning side when two of his best players, Hleb and Flamini leave at the drop of a hat, and a third, Adebayor only stays after his Italian move falls through?

Wenger frequently talks of an ethic, a way of doing things which he looks for in his players. But if ultimately the players he propels to stardom end up no more than foreign mercenaries using him as a stepping stone en route to Milan or Barcelona, isn't it time he modified his mindset? Wenger's beliefs work in a winning club but they're left wanting when things get tough.

This doesn't happen at Manchester United. Not only does Sir Alex Ferguson cultivate homegrown youngsters who play for the shirt like few others, he also manages to create that loyalty among the players he brings in.

Until Wenger engenders that dimension into his squad of players, then Arsenal fans will have to make do with being also-rans. His squad rotation will be more about covering for players heading for the exit door!

David Dein once said every manager has a shelf life. It's time for Wenger to show he has the longevity of the other managerial greats. Can Wenger dig deeper to keep up with the Fergies?