为庆祝多哥足球队在2006年世界杯非洲区预选赛中脱颖而出，首次获得世界杯出线名额，多哥总统福雷·纳辛贝10月9日宣布10月10日多哥全国放假一天。

    据路透社10月9日报道，在8日举行的世界杯非洲区预选赛同刚果队的比赛上，多哥队两度落后却又两度追上，最终以3：2力克强敌，获得了2006年德国世界杯的出线名额。地处西部非洲的多哥历来被看作是非洲足球的“不毛之地”，然而在本次世界杯非洲区预选赛小组比赛中，多哥队却一鸣惊人，在总共9场的比赛中，以不败战绩勇夺小组头名，历史上第一次杀入世界杯决赛圈。而分在同组的2002年世界杯8强之一的塞内加尔队，在崛起的多哥队面前也只能俯首称臣。

    据报道，在举行庆祝仪式之前，多哥总统福雷曾亲自前往机场迎接从布拉柴维尔返回的多哥足球队。

    除多哥外，另外3支获得2006年德国世界杯参赛资格的非洲球队分别是安哥拉、加纳和科特迪瓦。

    Togo President Faure Gnassingbe on Sunday declared a public holiday on Monday to celebrate the national soccer team's first ever qualification for the World Cup finals.

    The holiday was announced by the Togolese president as he led thousands of fans in giving a heroes' welcome to the team, who twice came from behind to win 3-2 in Congo on Saturday and clinch a place at next year's tournament in Germany.

    Long considered as a lightweight footballing nation on the continent, the tiny West African country embarked on a nine-match unbeaten to gain top place in their qualifying group ahead of Senegal, quarter-finalists at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

    "Togolese want to celebrate this victory. So the whole government has decided to declare Monday, October 10 as a paid holiday across the whole country," Gnassingbe said during a victory reception at a Lome stadium packed with more than 20,000 cheering fans.

    Earlier, the Togolese president had personally greeted and congratulated the victorious squad at the airport as they arrived back from Brazzaville.

    Togo qualified for next year's World Cup finals along with three other African first-timers -- Angola, Ghana and Ivory Coast.