Togo’s forward Emmanuel Adebayor is pictured during their African Cup of Nation 2013 quarter final football match against Burkina Faso on February 3, 2013 in Nelspruit, South Africa. PHOTO/AFP
LOME, March 29 – Emmanuel Adebayor has returned to the Togo national team after ending his self-imposed international exile ahead of Tuesday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations home qualifier against Tunisia.
“Adebayor joined the national team yesterday after negotiations with FTF officials. He trained just like his team-mates,” Pierre Lamadokou, secretary general for the Togolese Football Federation, told AFP on Monday.
“He will be with his team-mates again on Monday afternoon for the final training session before the game against Tunisia.”
Adebayor played for Togo at the 2006 World Cup, their only appearance at the tournament, but has made himself unavailable for selection on several occasions and criticised the “chaos” in the FTF.
He last played for Togo in June last year, and turned down an initial approach from FTF president Colonel Kossi Akpovy prior to last week’s reverse fixture with Tunisia to focus on his club future at Crystal Palace.
Adebayor, 32, joined Palace in January until the end of the season, having been without a club following his release from Tottenham Hotspur last September.
Tunisia are second in Group A after three matches, level on six points with both Liberia and Tunisia, following last week’s 1-0 defeat in Monastir.
Only the 13 group winners are guaranteed places at next year’s tournament in Gabon, while the best two runners-up also qualify.
