Togo’s World Cup preparations have been thrown into disarray after coach Otto Pfister resigned over a pay dispute.
His former assistant Kodjovi Mawuena will take charge of the side for their first game with South Korea on 13 June.
“When I started to be manager of Togo, I was promised that bonuses for the players would be cleared,” Pfister told FIFAworldcup.com.
“That is still not the case, so I decided to quit immediately. It’s a professional decision.
“However, in not managing a team at the World Cup, my life’s dream has been destroyed. But this is a situation I simply cannot work with.”
It is almost a matter of history repeating itself for Pfister; eight years ago, when in charge of Saudi Arabia, he was fired on the eve of the World Cup.
Fifa’s head of communications Markus Ziegler said that Togo were within their rights to appoint a new coach at this stage of the tournament.
“The situation for players is clear, but the rules do not apply to coaches,” he said.
Pfister blamed the Togolese Football Association for the dispute but refused to comment further on the situation.
World Cup debutants Togo are in the same group as South Korea, Switzerland and France.
