There has been plenty of confusion over the Togo attack, with conflicting reports about injuries, deaths and the squad's response, and it's still the main subject for England's sports writers. In the Sunday Telegraph, Duncan White feels it has left Africa's dream in tatters.

"This was supposed to show Africa, and specifically sub-Saharan Africa, at its best: African players on African soil. Angola, with the huge economic growth that has followed peace, was the perfect venue for an optimistic future.

It is hard to measure the damage that has been done by the attack on the Togo bus. It was telling that, amid his shocked recollections of the events, Emmanuel Adebayor said he felt "disgraced" by what had happened, that Africa had failed when it most needed to succeed.

Saturday was a blur of contradictory reports and misinformation as Caf, African football's governing body, fought desperately to save the tournament. Their initial reaction, in which they appeared to reproach the Togolese for not flying to Cabinda, was a strong indicator of their panic.

Their insistence everything was fine and the competition would go ahead as planned was rendered increasingly absurd as the day wore on, with Togo pulling out and Ghana threatening to follow if they were not moved from Cabinda to Luanda, the capital.

While the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (Flec), the group that claimed responsibility for the attack, claim they want an independence on ethnic grounds, they also want the oil money to be redistributed across the province.

Why, if a tenuous peace had only been agreed with rebel groups three years ago, did Angola and Caf take the risk of staging games in Cabinda?

The answer is money. Without Cabinda's oil money, there would be no tournament in Angola – the government claims to have spent $1 billion on getting the infrastructure up to scratch. So, it's important for Cabinda to be in on the action, to show that it is a safe place to invest. That is why they were fighting so hard yesterday to preserve the fixtures scheduled to take place there.

Flec are threatening further attacks and it looks unlikely that the safety of players and fans can be guaranteed. There is nothing to suggest they will be under threat in mainland Angola, though, and, while Caf must face serious interrogation about the viability of their organisation, strenuous effort must be made to ensure the tournament is completed, even if there are further withdrawals. If it collapsed, there would be serious economic consequences for Angola."

He concludes:

"Forgotten among all this is the football itself, which now resembles a ritual to be got through, rather than a source of celebration."

On a different note, Patrick Collins in the Mail on Sunday is asking whether it is now time for Sir Alex Ferguson to ride into the sunset.

"A couple of days ago, Sir Alex Ferguson was asked about rumours that his club captain Gary Neville would retire at the end of the season. His reply was predictably brusque: 'Why would we make a decision about his future when we don't need to? You don't make decisions like that in the middle of the season. It's a load of nonsense.'

When it comes to retirement, the Manchester United manager shares the view of the late Bill Shankly. 'A terrible, terrible word,' said Shankly.

'They should remove it from the dictionary.' And yet, it would be surprising if that terrible word had not crossed Ferguson's mind these past few weeks.

Ferguson must look at Dimitar Berbatov and wonder what it takes to persuade that vapid under-achiever to deliver his God-given talent. He must wince at the continuing irrelevance of Michael Owen, the ineffectiveness of Anderson, Nani and Luis Valencia and the lack of impact of the young ones: Rafael and Fabio, Danny Welbeck and Gabriel Obertan. Of course, it is far too early to judge, but few resemble authentic United players. And a manager who is a full half-century older than some of them may find it desperately difficult to communicate his own demands and expectations.

In different days, Ferguson would have spent a slice of the money which he and his footballers had generated; indeed, he insists transfer resources are still available. But you sense he is whistling in the wind; that the Glazer family, that confederation of geeks who have hobbled a prudently run club with £700million of debt, are both unwilling and unable to sanction the kind of stunning coup which might turn the tide. Instead, he lives with the sobering consequences of the loss of Ronaldo, unwillingly sold and savagely missed.

Ferguson has moved through the generations with style and flair. For all his flaws, he has left an enduring mark upon the game he loves. And if he were asked about his retirement plans, his answer would be a colourful version of 'It's a load of nonsense'.

But one day, he will go. The most gifted manager we have known will decide that his reputation is secure, his legacy is assured and that the time has come to pass the torch. Alex Ferguson has earned the right to name that day. I suspect it will arrive sooner than later."