Togo's coach Otto Pfister has unexpectedly resigned from the national football team because of the inability of the Togolese Football Association to resolve a pay dispute with the players.

In a telephone interview with the Reuters news agency today, Pfister said that he resigns without notice, as his dream for Togo's debut appearance in the World Cup Finals was destroyed.

Otto Pfister said that his players boycotted the last three closed training sessions before their opening match, and "with that my basis to work has been removed."

"It has destroyed a dream of my life," Pfister said, adding that he won't be returning to the negotiating table with the Togolese Football Association officials, directly blaming them for this development.

The Togolese Football Association sacked Stephen Keshi, the coach that contributed to the team's qualification to the World Cup for the first time in their history. The poor performance of the team during the African Cup of Nations was then cited as the reason behind the sacking.

It was announced that Kodjovi Mawuena, Pfister's assistant manager will take over for the remaining training sessions with the team. Piet Hamberg, who was the second assistan manager also quit, a Togolese Football Federation official told Reuters.

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