The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has rejected Togo's appeal for a provisional reversal of their ban from the next two Africa Cup of Nations.
Its decision means Togo will not be in Saturday's draw for the 2012 qualifying matches which begin in September.
However, Cas has said if it eventually finds in Togo's favour, the draw should be restaged at a later date.
Togo were banned by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) after pulling out of the recent CAN in Angola.
They withdrew after a gun attack on their party killed two people and injured several others, on the insistence of the Togolese government.
When they announced the move, Caf said the Togolese players had wanted to stay, and therefore the decision to pull them out amounted to "government interference".
The imposition of the ban sparked a vocal campaign within Togo to have the decision reversed.
Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor joined those who voiced their opposition to the move by Caf, calling it "outrageous".
When they announced the move, Caf said the Togolese players had wanted to stay, and therefore the decision to pull them out amounted to "government interference".
The imposition of the ban sparked a vocal campaign within Togo to have the decision reversed.
Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor joined those who voiced their opposition to the move by Caf, calling it "outrageous".
The country's coach Hubert Velud said he wanted to involve the heads of Fifa and Uefa, Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini in the campaign.
The draw for qualifying for the 2012 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon takes place on Saturday.
The interim committee running football in Togo appealed to Cas to try and get the ban overturned.
The West African regional political body Ecowas has backed Togo's bid to be included in the draw.
In a statement, Cas said its dismissal of Togo's call for a provisional lifting of the ban "would not call in question the participation of the team in the first qualifying matches for the CAN 2012 which will start in September 2010".
It added that Caf confirmed there would be "no material obstacle to the organisation of a new draw in the event that the appeal of the Football Federation of Togo is upheld".
The draw for qualifying for the 2012 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon takes place on Saturday.
The interim committee running football in Togo appealed to Cas to try and get the ban overturned.
The West African regional political body Ecowas has backed Togo's bid to be included in the draw.
In a statement, Cas said its dismissal of Togo's call for a provisional lifting of the ban "would not call in question the participation of the team in the first qualifying matches for the CAN 2012 which will start in September 2010".
It added that Caf confirmed there would be "no material obstacle to the organisation of a new draw in the event that the appeal of the Football Federation of Togo is upheld".
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