Togo is a small West African country home to approximately 8.5 million people that doesn’t make much headlines compared to bigger West African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal. However, one person that put the country in the global spotlight is Emmanuel Adebayor, who has called time on an illustrious football career that spanned 23 years.
The 39-year-old was born in the Togolese capital of Lome to Nigerian parents and was destined to thrive as a footballer when scouts from French club Metz spotted him. Adebayor made his Metz debut in 2001 but only scored twice as the Les Grenats got relegated.
His goalscoring improved in the French second tier, netting 13 times in 34 games which prompted Monaco to snatch him. Adebayor’s stock began to rise in the Principality, netting 26 times in 115 games over three seasons where Les Monegasques finished third twice in Ligue 1 and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2004 where they lost 3-0 to FC Porto in Gelsenkirchen.
Adebayor moved to Arsenal in January 2006 for bargain of a £3 million and was given the nickname ‘Kanu’ due to his resemblance in stature and playing style with Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu who was on the books of Arsenal between 1999 and 2004.
He lived up to that expectation as he scored on a consistent basis for the Gunners, the 2007-08 season being his most prolific, netting 30 goals as Arsenal were on the cusp of winning the Premier League but lost steam towards the end and finished in third place, four points behind eventual Manchester United. It earned him the 2008 African Footballer of the Year ahead of Egypt legend Mohamed Abou Trika and Michael Essien of Ghana.
97 – Only three African players have scored more Premier League goals than Emmanuel Adebayor (97), while Adebayor is the only non-European player to assist four goals in a Premier League game (in February 2012 for Spurs vs Newcastle). Appreciation. pic.twitter.com/4o0bhRr6d2
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 21, 2023
After three-and-a-half seasons at Arsenal, scoring 62 goals in 142 appearances, Adebayor moved to oil-rich Manchester City in the summer of 2009 for a fee believed to be £25 million and he lived up to expectations once again in his debut season, scoring 14 league goals in 26 appearances as the Citizens finished fifth.
Things were not as smooth-sailing for Adebayor in his second season at the Etihad Stadium as more attacking options arrived, thereby dropping him down the pecking order. He however found success on loan at Real Madrid during the second half of the 2010-11 campaign, scoring crucial goals that culminated in Los Blancos winning the Copa del Rey over fierce rivals Barcelona, the first title of his career.
Adebayor went out loan again during the 2011-12 season, this time for Arsenal’s fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and finished as the Lilywhites top scorer with 17 goals as they clinched Champions League qualification. His move was made permanent the following season and he scored a further 24 goals in three seasons. Over all, Adebayor scored 42 goals in 113 appearances for Spurs.
The Lome native’s next adventure took him to another London club in Crystal Palace but it was less than fruitful, with just a season, one goal and 15 appearances.
39-year-old Emmanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement from football—he's had a unique career path:
Metz
Monaco
Arsenal
Man City
Real Madrid
Spurs
Palace
İstanbul Başakşehir
Kayserispor
Olimpia
Semassi???? pic.twitter.com/tvNU2uwN6S
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 21, 2023
Adebayor’s 10-year association with the Premier League ended in 2016 and he joined Turkish Super Lig outfit Istanbul Basaksehir in January 2017, spending two-and-a-half seasons, scoring 28 goals in 76 appearances, the bulk coming in the 2017-18 season where he netted 17 times.
Adebayor had a short stint at another Turkish club in Kayserispor in 2019 before joining Paraguayan club Olimpia during the COVID-19 hit 2020 season. His final club led him back home to play for Semassi before finally calling time on his career.
It’s impossible not to touch on Adebayor’s international career that was a hallmark of greatness. He made his debut for the Sparrowhawks in a 2-0 loss over Zambia during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He would however have to wait until 2003 to net his first international goal in a 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.
From that moment, Adebayor was never going to stop and scored 10 more goals as Togo made it to the mundial in Germany for the first time ever under the watch of late Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi.
2008 African Player of the Year ????
???????? @E_Adebayor hangs his boot after an outstanding career ????
Good luck in your next step ???? pic.twitter.com/MYSuKqFWDE
— CAF (@CAF_Online) March 21, 2023
Togo might not have won a single match at the World Cup as they lost to South Korea, Switzerland and France but the thrill of making it to the biggest and most prestigious football event is something that remains in the hearts of Togolese fans till date and will always remain.
Adebayor participated in four Africa Cup of Nations with Togo (2002, 2006, 2013 and 2017), their best performance coming in 2013 where they reached the quarter-finals.
A dark moment however came for Adebayor at the 2010 AFCON in Angola where the Togo team bus was attacked by a political rebel group on their way to a match. It left three members of the Togolese team dead and the team withdrew from the competition. Adebayor retired from the national team as a result of the traumatic incident but returned a year later.
Over all, Adebayor scored 32 goals for Togo which makes his the small West African country’s all-time top scorer. As the curtain has come down on his career, Adebayor retires having scored a combined 237 goals for both club and country.
Adebayor might have been somewhat of a controversial figure during his career, his action of running the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans when he scored against them while representing Manchester City in 2009, is something he is always remembered for in bad light. He has also been caught in other incidents on and off the pitch that got him punished.
Adebayor’s disciplinary issues and often odd personality might have hindered him from achieving more during his career but regardless, it does not take away the enigma of a player that he was, arguably the biggest name beyond football to come out of Togo. It’s a legacy that has created an awakening in the development of young and promising football talent who aspire to follow Adebayor’s footsteps.
Will there be any Togolese player better or greater than Adebayor? Only time will tell but until then, the 39-year-old will remain the most iconic football figure in Togo and one of Africa’s finest.
