Adebayor to play for Togo in Nations Cup
Reuters - Tuesday 08 January 2013, 16:19
Emmanuel
Adebayor will play in the Africa Cup of Nations after being persuaded to
go back on his decision to boycott the tournament by Togo's president
Faure Gnassingbe in meetings over the last two days, a government
spokesman said on Tuesday.
"Adebayor
was received yesterday in Accra by the head of state," Cleo Petchezi,
director of communications for the presidency, told Reuters.
"Discussions
continued this morning in Lome. Following them Adebayor has said he
will return to his club and join the national team in a week."
The
Tottenham Hotspur striker had previously said he was boycotting the
tournament in South Africa, which starts on January 19, because of a row
over bonuses for the players.
The
developments open the likelihood that Adebayor will play for his club
in the Premier League away against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday
before joining his teammates one week ahead of the tournament kick-off.
Adebayor,
who has now made three returns after self-imposed 'retirements' from
the national side, has missed Togo's pre-tournament preparations,
including international warm-up games in Oman and Niger over the last 10
days.
The 28-year-old is at
the centre of yet another row over bonus payments to the squad following
their qualification to the finals.
The
Togolese side has been in constant turmoil over money with Adebayor
using his status in the small West African country to force the issue.
On
Tuesday, Togo press reports said coach Didier Six was also seeking to
be paid outstanding wages and had not joined up with the team, who are
preparing for the tournament in neighbouring Ghana.
The
absence of the French-born coach from the team training camp in Accra
was confirmed by Herve Agbodan, communications officer of the Togolese
Football Federation (TFF), but he said Six would return to work on
Wednesday.
Agbodan told Reuters on Tuesday the dispute over money was not being handled by the TFF but instead by the government.
The
state has stepped in before to pay money over to the team, notably
ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany when Adebayor and team mates
refused to train for several days before receiving promised
qualification bonuses.
Togo's
opening game at the Nations Cup is in Rustenburg against the tournament
favourites Ivory Coast on January 22.