Ismailia: Senegal defender Habib Beye has warned African rivals Togo that they can expect more misery at the World Cup finals after their African Nations Cup flop.
El Hadji Diouf has already dismissed the chances of a great African performance at the World Cup and Beye has now added his voice with stinging remarks on the chances of Togo, the team that pipped the Teranga Lions to the ticket to Germany 2006.
"Togo will be beaten silly at the World Cup so much so that they could lose by as many as five goals in a game," said the Marseille defender, who will sit out his team's crucial Group D match against Nigeria in Port Said on Tuesday after he was sent off in the match against Ghana.
"They will not be good representatives of Africa because they are just not good enough as we have all seen here in Egypt."
He also added that firing Nigerian-born coach Stephen Keshi would only lead to more problems on the global stage.
"It would be a big mistake to fire Keshi now. He has to see them through because if they get another man he will have to start from the scratch with less than five months to the World Cup," Beye said.
The Hawks of Togo, who crashed out in the first round of the Nations Cup, are drawn in Group G of the World Cup alongside 1998 champions France, Switzerland and South Korea.
Beye said Senegal, who upstaged France in the opening game of the last World Cup, and went as far as the last eight have only themselves to blame for losing out to the Togolese in the qualifying tournament.
"We did not get going in our first four, five games and then we were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Togo. That was a disaster. And when we finally got going, Togo were also winning their games," said Beye.
The Senegal fullback said that African hopes of a good showing at the World Cup will hang on Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Ghana.
"Ivory Coast and Ghana can do something even though they are both drawn in very tough groups because they have quality running through their teams but I'm not very sure of Angola," he added.
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