Togo banks on Adebayor to make Africa Cup comeback

JOHANNESBURG - Agence France-Presse

Tottenham Hotspur star Emmanuel Adebayor (R) is the highest-profile player for Togo, but has announced he quit international football last month. AFP photo

Togo wants Emmanuel Adebayor to come out of retirement and there were boosts for Nigeria and Angola, as the clocked ticked down to the start of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Adebayor said he was once again retiring from international football after a bonus row following a 1-0 friendly victory in Morocco last month.

Adebayor, 28, scored the winner against the Atlas Lions and also netted in both legs of the qualifier against Gabon that sealed a place at the Jan. 19-Feb. 10 tournament in South Africa.

His absence would be a massive blow to the Sparrowhawks, who were drawn with title favorite Ivory Coast and former champions Algeria and Tunisia.

“I am doing everything I can to get Emmanuel back,” Togo coach Didier Six said. “He is a world-class footballer and captain of the national team.

“He will have the final word on the matter but I will put all my strength into getting him to change his mind. He is very important to our ambitions.”

Previous Adebayor retirements stemmed from unpaid bonuses and the alleged poor treatment of the national team when travelling around the continent - a complaint not unique to Togolese footballers.

George Weah slammed officials who booked first-class seats while players were confined to economy class for flights.

Nigeria and titleholder Zambia are expected to advance from Group C at the expense of Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

Angola is in Group A with South Africa, Morocco and Cape Verde Islands.