Togo's soccer federation says the Confederation of African Football has refused its request to move a qualifier out of Tunisia because of security concerns in the North African country.

The federation had asked for next week's African Cup of Nations qualifier in the northeastern city of Monastir to be played in a neutral country.

Tunisian security forces have been battling militants on the southern border with Libya, with around 20 people killed in the clashes.

Togo Football Federation secretary general Pierre Lamadokou says the federation will now observe the situation in Tunisia over the next few days.

Lamadokou previously said that Togo players remembered the gun attack on their team bus by Angolan separatists when they were traveling to the 2010 African Cup. Two Togo team officials were killed.

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