Just months after securing a place in their first ever World Cup finals, Togo are in a state of disarray having replaced the coach who got them to Germany - Stephen Keshi - with much-travelled German Otto Pfister.

Keshi looks to have been treated somewhat harshly. The former Nigeria stalwart worked wonders in advancing the Togolese - a potent mix of journeymen and young talent - through an African Zone qualifying group which contained Senegal and Mali, countries that have proved to be no pushovers in recent years.

Indeed Togo lost just one of their 10 qualifiers but that was all quickly forgotten when they endured a torrid African Nations Cup campaign at the beginning of 2006.

Keshi's well-documented bust-up with star striker Emmanuel Adebayor at the start of the tournament set the tone for a highly combustible few weeks, which ended with Togo being dumped out of the competition after finishing bottom of their group.

It was their soporific performances, more than their disappointing results, in Egypt that spelt the end for Keshi.

And the Hawks turned to Pfister in their hour of need, three-and-a-half months before the World Cup kicks off.

Who is Pfister?

One thing is for sure, he is an experienced traveller.

At 68, the German has an interesting coaching history. He clearly has an affinity to Africa, having managed Rwanda, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) and Ghana.

Togo is simply the latest in a long line of minnows Pfister has decided to turn his hand to.

He will not have long to get to know his new charges before the finals begin in the summer. Many of them are unknown to him, despite his worldwide knowledge of the game, and he has vowed to embark on a tour of the European clubs where Togo's leading players are based.

"There are at least seven or eight regulars who will be the backbone of the side," he said. "I have already been talking to some of the players by phone and I will be talking to more and visiting some."

He has his work cut out though. Pfister will only begin to work with the players on May 14, one day before the FIFA deadline for the 32 finalists to name their 23-man squads for the tournament.

That spells danger for the Hawks, who were up against it in the first place, and is a rather unfair predicament for Pfister to be placed in.

Pfister has planned at least four warm-up games in the month leading up to the start of the World Cup, when they will be based at a training camp in the southern German town of Wangen, close to the Swiss border.

He is facing an almost impossible task but he has complete confidence in his own ability.

"It's a new challenge for me but I have plenty of experience in African football. I'm not expecting a lot of problems."

He will have seen from 'Adebayorgate' in the African Nations Cup that he will have to take special care in his treatment of his leading striker.

Togo have a tight-knit group of players who gelled so well in World Cup qualification and player-power is certainly an issue Pfister will have to overcome.

Prior to the fateful African Nations Cup, Keshi brought a new-found sense of belief into the squad. Never was this more embodied than in the final World Cup qualifying game, against Congo, when they scored twice in the last 30 minutes to secure a 3-2 win and a ticket to the finals.

Pfister's toughest task will be to recreate that feeling in a short space of time.

Team spirit seems to be the only thing that will help them survive in Germany but it takes an age to foster and three-and-a-half months is simply not enough.

Keshi was lauded as a hero in Togo after leading the country to the finals against all expectations, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) recognising this achievement and voting him the coach of 2005.

But if all that was not enough to keep him in a job, what chance has Pfister got?

His predicament sees him under the watchful eye of a federation who have shown they are not scared to make radical coaching changes at inopportune times while he also has to deal with a team who will not be adequately prepared for such a big tournament.

Good luck Mr Pfister.