Assistant coach Kodjovi Mawuena took charge of Togo's national team after Otto Pfister surprisingly quit overnight in a World Cup pay dispute between officials and the debutant squad.
Mawuena found himself hastily promoted for at least one match after German-born Pfister said the players' wages row left him unable to do his job and signalled that he would not change his mind.
Togo's players have demanded €155,000 euros each to play in the World Cup plus €30,000 each per win and €15,000 per draw. Officials from the small West African country said it was too much money.
'I have resigned without notice. The players boycotted (three closed) training sessions and with that my basis to work has been removed,' Pfister told Reuters on Saturday in a telephone interview. 'It has destroyed a dream of my life.'
Pfister said he would not return to the negotiating table and did not blame the players but Togo's football association. Meanwhile, Togolese officials were left in chaos.
Team manager Larsen Dobou said Pfister could return if he wanted to.
'Last night, an earthquake shook our preparations. Therefore everything is in a bit of chaos now,' Dobou said in a news conference. 'It is a shame that we are talking about money, not football.'
Mawuena, who already conducted his first training session this morning, now has three days before World Cup debutants Togo open their Group G campaign against South Korea in Frankfurt. Togo's other group opponents are Switzerland and France.
There had been talk that Togo's star player Emmanuel Adebayor may boycott the new coach in support of Pfister and that some players had gone to Switzerland this morning to convince Pfister, who has a home in Zurich, to return.
But officials seemed surprised by the speculation and said all the players had been at this morning's training and all would play the World Cup.
However, the pay dispute that actually started the trouble had not yet been resolved. Players and management are due for another meeting later on Saturday where they will discuss a proposal from Togo's Prime Minister Edem Kodjo.
