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Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor has decided to return to the Togo national team after a 19-month absence.

The 27-year-old quit the international scene in April 2010, three months after the team bus was the subject of a gun attack which killed three people during the African Nations Cup in Angola.

The Togolese Football Federation (FTF) said in a statement: “Emmanuel Adebayor has reiterated his willingness to be back with the national team of Togo in view of the 2013 African Nations Cup and 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

“He hopes that a new football chapter can be opened. He is committed to playing at the start of qualifying games for those two competitions.”

The former Togo captain has made himself available for next week’s World Cup qualifier against Guinea Bissau after receiving assurances over the safety of players in future matches.

“I am happy to say that I am returning for Togo and will avail myself for next week’s game against Guinea Bissau,” Adebayor told the BBC.

“I decided to quit the international scene because I had concerns about the safety of players after the deadly attack in Cabinda.

“Things were not done properly. The FTF agreed with the key issues I raised and they have resolved that they will solve these problems for the benefit of all the players.

“I want to serve my country but the safety of all the players in the team must be paramount. I have been assured that this issue and others will be addressed.

“Now that I am returning to the team it is up to the coach to decide whether he wants to play me or not.

“I am returning to the team as a member of the squad and I don’t expect any special treatment. I will be treated as any other player in the team.”

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Emmanuel Adebayor claims that Juventus have agreed a deal to take him from Manchester City when the transfer window opens.

He told Sport/Foot Magazine: “I don’t know what I did wrong to Roberto Mancini, but he never makes me play.

“I’m going to change air during the transfer window in January.

“And I can tell you that City has already reached an agreement with Juventus for a loan.

“I therefore expect to be able to leave in December.”

Adebayor has often been linked with a move to Italian outfit Juve, where he would link up with manager Luigi Del Neri.

However, one potential snag to the deal could be the fact that the Old Lady already have one non-EU player in their squad in the form of Serbian Milos Krasic.

Serie A quota rules prevent Italian clubs having more than one player from outside the EU, thus leaving former Togo international Adebayor unable to link up with the 27-time champions. (Sky Sports)

Presuming these quotes from Sky Sports are accurate, this is rather curious logic from Emmanuel Adebayor.

A deal is apparently already in place even though Juventus would not be able to play him.

It’s not as if Milos Krasic is even surplus to requirements in Turin. The Serbia international winger has scored five goals in his first 13 appearances for Juventus after signing in the summer, and has been one of the brightest sparks of their season.

Regardless, by speaking out against the manager, former Arsenal striker Adebayor’s days at Eastlands are surely numbered.

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A former coach of Togo’s national football team has been suspended for three years after hosting a fake match in Bahrain earlier this month.

Togo’s football federation said Tchanile Bana organised a friendly game in Riffa, which was played without the sports body being informed.

A group of players pretending to be the national team lost the match 3-0.

Mr Bana had already been suspended for two years for hosting a fake match against Egypt in July.

“The organisation, the preparation and supervision of the match were planned by [assistant coach] Tchanile Bana” without approval, the football federation said in a statement.

Antoine Folly, a member of the disciplinary commission, said that others responsible for the scam must also face action.

“Full light must be thrown on the Bahrain affair in order to unmask and impose sanctions on his accomplices operating within the Togo Football Federation,” he said.

Togo’s football authorities began investigating after reports of a game against Bahrain, staged at the national stadium in Riffa on 7 September. (BBC Sport)

Tchanile Bana may be getting into a spot of bother over the whole ‘fake’ Togo match in Bahrain but I think he deserves some sort of medal. Seriously. It takes some guts to take a collection of players to an international knowing full well that you are not in fact the Togo national football team. And to do it twice, well that’s hilarious.

How exactly was this not spotted earlier? I.e. before the referee blew the whistle. For instance when the coach of the Togo team turns out in fact to be someone other than the ‘actual’ coach you would at that point maybe check the internet? Call the Togo FA? Blimey, even a quick check on Wikipedia would’ve saved a mountain of mess.

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Manchester City and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement from international football.
The decision comes three months after the gun attack on the Togo team bus during this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, in which two people died.
A statement from the 26-year-old said: “Following those tragic events… I have made the very difficult decision to retire from international football.
“I am still haunted by the events I witnessed on that horrible afternoon.”
He added: “I have weighed up my feelings in the weeks and months since the attack.
“We were just footballers going to play a football match and represent our country, yet we were attacked by people who wanted to kill us all.
“It is a moment I will never forget and one I never want to experience again.
“For nine years I have played for the Togo team and, despite the events in Angola, I have some very good memories of my international career.
“I feel very proud to have been trusted with the position of captain of the Togolese football team. Leading your country in international competition is the ultimate honour for any player.

“The people who were on that coach together will forever be joined by a special bond – we are all brothers.
“I will always have the team and the people of Togo close to my heart and wish them every success in the challenges that they will face in the future.” (BBC Sport)

You can hardly blame Emmanuel Adebayor from deciding to quit international football, one can barely imagine just how anyone aboard that coach must have felt both as they came under attack but also in the aftermath of the tragedy. The fact that the African governing body then decided to ban Togo for pulling out of the Nations Cup was just incredible and can not have helped matters.

I am sure anyone can fully understand Emmanuel’s decision and I wouldn’t be surprised if others from the Togo national team felt the same way, sometimes football just has to take a back seat. When something so tragic occurs It can not be so easily swept to one side and I for one can not imagine how tough it would be to then represent your country after such a devastating incident.

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) insists it was right to ban Togo from the next two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments despite widespread criticism of the decision.
CAF also lashed out at what it called “the press campaign aimed at tarnishing the image of high personalities of the hierarchy of African football.”
Togo were banned from the next two editions tournaments and fined $50,000 for withdrawing from the event 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.
Caf said the Togolese players had wanted to stay, and therefore the decision to pull them out amounted to “government interference”.
The Caf ruling has been widely condemned in various circles including governments, footballers and fans while protests were held in Lome against the ban.
But after an executive committee meeting in Lubumbashi, Caf insists that its decision to ban the Hawks is backed by their regulations.
“The suspension of Togo for the next two Africa Cups of Nations is a decision unanimously arrived at by the entire Executive Committee,” a Caf executive committee statement read.

The suspension of Togo for the next two Africa Cups of Nations is a decision unanimously arrived at by the entire Executive Committee
Caf executive committee
“The decision was taken on the basis of the regulations of the competition and the statutes of Caf.”
In the wake of the ban, protesters in the Togolese capital Lome called for Issa Hayatou to resign while a section of the media blamed the Cameroonian administrator for the decision.
But Caf’s executive committee heaped praise on its leader insisting that he is the right man to lead the continental body.
“The Caf executive committee strongly and officially congratulates President Issa Hayatou and reiterates to him its total confidence,” the statement said.
“He has our constant support and encouragement for him to pursue the ambitious and laudable projects for the development of African football.”
The continental football governing body revealed that the authorities in the west African country rejected a delegation from Caf to attend the funeral of the two deceased team officials in Lome. (BBC Sport)

So let me get this straight. CAF makes a disastrous ruling that would anger any sane human being and then attempts to claim that they are the victim of some sort of media witch hunt? How exactly does that work? The reason the CAF has received an unparalleled level of attention, and not good attention I might add, is because the governing body compounded one hideous decision with another and then made one hell of a bad decision that they must truly have wished they hadn’t arrived at.

It beggars belief that after seeing members of their coaching staff killed in cold blood and receiving shocking injuries of their own that the players of the Togo side were expected to compete in the African Nations Cup. Yes its true that some players wanted, respectfully, to take part in the tournament but the country’s government made the correct decision, in my view, to bring home their players. For that nation to then be given any type of ban would seem mindless at best and incredibly tactless and ill feeling at worst. Then for that ban to be of such a length, suspension from the next two African Nations Cups, well one can only imagine what the CAF were expecting the moment that ruling was handing out.

One can only hope that someone at CAF sees sense and attempts to cling on to some dignity by coming out and apologizing for the absurd decision but knowing just inept that organization can be I sincerely doubt any change of heart is in the offing. Also note how FIFA has been very quiet on this issue, once again showing just incompetent and impotent they can at times be.

You simply couldn’t script this whole mess, its like an Ealing comedy of a bygone age, where a bureaucratic nightmare of such proportions should surely only exist in fiction unfortunately the African continent has to contend with as a nightmare of a reality.

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Togo have been banned from the next two Africa Cup of Nations following their withdrawal from this year’s tournament.
The Confederation of African football (Caf) also fined the Hawks $50,000 for quitting the competition in the wake of a gun attack on the team bus in Angola.
Two members of their delegation and a coach driver were killed in the ambush, which occurred two days before the start of the tournament.
World football governing body Fifa declined to comment on the ban.
However, a statement from CAF read: “The executive committee has banned Togo from the next two African Nations Cup and fined the Togo FA 50,000 U.S. dollars.”
A Togolese assistant coach and a press officer died along with the driver following the ambush on their bus in the northern Angolan province of Cabinda on 8 January, prompting the government to recall the team for three days of mourning.
The Hawks initially wanted to compete in Group B with Ivory Coast, Ghana and Burkina Faso, but quit on 10 January – the tournament’s start date – on 10 January on their national government’s orders.
But African football’s governing body says the decision to pull the team out amounted to governmental interference in the sport.
“The players publicly expressed their willingness to return to the Nations Cup to compete. But the Togo government decided to call back their national team,” Caf explained in its statement.
“The decision by political authorities contravenes Caf and African Nations Cup regulations.” (BBC Sport)

Yes you read that correctly. After their team was attacked by an Angolan rebel group in a deadly ambush that left three people dead the African Nation of Togo took the rather unavoidable decision to pull out of the African Nations Cup. The decision would not have been taken lightly but how the hell would the country’s players be able to continue to play their matches given the events of that bloody day.

The decision by the CAF to ban the country from the next two African Nations Cup tournaments is simply unbelievable and beggars belief. Given that they were unable to adequately protect the team from such a vicious attack it just astounds me that they would then turn around and take such a decision, a decision that will surely be successfully appealed.

Can you imagine just how traumatised all those present on the team bus would have been following such an incident. Watching as team mates are shot and others within metres are killed are they then really going to be in the correct mental state to just continue regardless and partake in what would then seem like a meaningless game of football just a matter of a couple of days later?

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Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor has told French radio his team will return home from the Africa Cup of Nations following advice from their government.
Although the team initially wanted to leave the tournament after a gun attack on the team killed three people, they then said they would stay on in Angola.
But Togo Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo insisted the team leave the country for security reasons.
Tournament organisers have said the event will still go ahead as planned.
The attack on Togo’s convoy in the northern enclave of Cabinda killed an assistant coach, press officer and bus driver, and injured several other players.
Adebayor, who plays in the Premier League with Manchester City, had previously said the team thought that life should go on and they did not want to be seen as ruining the Nations Cup which begins on Sunday.
However, following further consultation with government officials, he accepted the authorities knew best.
He said: “This Friday at 1430, we were all dead on that bus. We sent our last messages to our families. We called our family to say our last words. I told myself: ‘If you’re still there on the ground in Angola, why not (play)?’
“The authorities decided we should return (home), so we will return.” (BBC Sport)

It is frankly incredible that Angola was chosen to host the 2010 African Nations Cup and equally incredible that the competition has not been cancelled in light of this tragedy. The security officials are claiming that the attack that left three people dead was a one off and that security would be tightened but anyone who thinks that such an incident could not happen again would be guilty of wishful thinking.

I am surprised that fellow African nations didn’t show solidarity with the stricken Togo side and it appears that following the attack on the national team coach representatives of the nations present sat down to discuss what their next move should be but still decided to go ahead with the tournament.

There will be some who will wrongly conclude that those who were responsible for the murder of three innocent civilians, reportedly an Angolan Rebel force, would win should the competition be abandoned and that to stop the African Nations Cup would in some way mean that the terrorists would have won are hideously incorrect in that line of reasoning.

To continue with a competition where it is clear that security is at best lax and at worst plain negligent is frankly a disaster waiting to repeat itself. In my mind to continue to play is an ill thought out decision that could well backfire disastrously. For the security officials to come out hours after the assassination in cold blood of three people and state that there would be no fear of a similar occurrence taking place is ridiculous in the extreme.

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Togo are considering pulling out of the Africa Cup of Nations after their team bus came under gunfire in Angola.
Two players were shot and injured in the attack in the northern province of Cabinda and the coach driver killed.
Organisers insist the tournament will go ahead but Togo’s players met later on Friday to discuss returning home.
“If we are still not sure [about security] then we will be leaving,” captain Emmanuel Adebayor, of Manchester City, told BBC Afrique.
“It’s a football game, it’s one of the biggest tournaments in Africa and a lot of people would love to be in our position but I don’t think anybody would be prepared to give their life.

“So I will talk with the team and we will discuss between us and take a group decision that we think is good for our careers, good for our lives and good for our families because at the end of the day it is only football.
“If I am alive I can still play football tomorrow and in one year maybe even another Cup of Nations but I am not ready to pass away now.
“I think a lot of players want to leave, they don’t want to be in this tournament any more. Because they have seen their death already they have been in a situation where they have been close to death – most of the players want to go back to their families.”

The driver of the Togo team bus was killed in the incident, while nine others were injured including two players, an assistant manager, physio, goalkeeping coach and another coach.
Defender Serge Akakpo, who plays for Romanian club Vaslui, was hit by two bullets and lost a lot of blood in the attack in Angola’s oil-rich territory of Cabinda, which is due to host seven matches.
Adebayor said the players were unsure whether Akakpo would survive at the time, but his club reported that his condition was stabilised and he underwent successful surgery.
Reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, who plays for French club GSI Pontivy, was also wounded, while several other players required hospital treatment and were later seen with bandages on legs, hands and faces.
“I don’t think any of the players will be able to sleep after this,” said Adebayor, who admitted they were all still in shock.
“You cannot sleep after what we have seen today – one of your team-mates with bullets in his body in front of you, crying and losing consciousness. It is very difficult.”

Our great concern is for the players, but the championship goes ahead
CAF spokesman
Togo team-mate Alaixys Romao, who plays for Grenoble in France, said he thought there should be a boycott of the tournament.
“Why not cancel all the matches? We just want to go home,” he said. (BBC Sport)

It is incredible that such an attack should occur as a showpiece tournament of this magnitude but it is equally incredible that the tournament would still go ahead after such an incident. How the hell can Togo be mentally prepared to play their part now that they have suffered such a tradegy and indeed how can the organizers guarantee the safety of the other teams taking part after such a horrendous breach of security. Our thoughts are with the Togolese side and the family of the team bus who was cowardly murdered.

Angolan rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack and one has to wonder at the wisdom of allowing the war torn country to host such a high profile event.

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The Rossoneri had said that they wanted to bring Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor to the San Siro, but faced competition from Spanish giants Barcelona. However, apart from agent claims that a deal was “80% done”, nothing has gone Milan’s way. As vice president Adriano Galliani states, Milan have seemingly been priced out of the chase:

Adebayor is overridden by continuous requests for €45million. These figures are impossible for clubs in Italy.

Galliani went on to complain that Milan cannot compete with the apparent endless wealth of some of Europe’s biggest players, with transfer targets heading for the bigger stage of England or Spain:

The top footballers in the world do not come here [to Serie A] any more.

When big clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea arrive it is impossible to compete because they have a much more advantageous fiscal situation.

The news will in no way change the stance of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who has always maintained that he was not fazed by the speculation and that Adebayor was going nowhere:

He’s under contract and that’s quite simple. I can tell you as manager of Arsenal I’m not worried.

Of course I expect him to be at Arsenal next season – he’s under contract.

But with Adebayor publicly flip-flopping over a move away from the Emirates Stadium and Camp Nou’s busy summer not yet over, is the saga put to bed by the claims from Milan or has it just made it a one-horse race?