Togo's national football team, representing the small West African nation on the international stage, operates under the Togolese Football Federation and competes within the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Before the country gained independence in 1960, the side was known as French Togoland, reflecting its colonial past under French administration.
The team's proudest achievement on the continental stage came in 2013, when Togo reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history — a milestone that underlined the growing quality of the squad during that era. At the regional level, the side has been competitive in the West African Nations Cup, finishing as runners-up four times across the 1980s, and claiming the WAFU Nations Cup title in 2011.
Togo's sole FIFA World Cup appearance came in 2006 in Germany, making them one of the few African nations to have reached the tournament's final stage. Their campaign in Group G — which included matches against South Korea, Switzerland, and France — ended without a point, but the experience marked a historic moment for the nation. The qualification campaign had been managed by Stephen Keshi, while German coach Otto Pfister oversaw the finals under turbulent circumstances involving a players' bonuses dispute.
The decade around 2010 was defined by tragedy and controversy. In January 2010, the team bus was attacked by armed separatists en route to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, killing three people. CAF's subsequent decision to ban Togo from the next two editions of the tournament drew widespread condemnation. Into the current decade, Togo continues to pursue qualification for major tournaments, with the national team serving as a source of pride and identity for its people.