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katana83 · Post time 15-1-2009 09:55 AM

Emmanuel Adebayor: More than just a striker

January 14, 2009 at 2:21 pm | In Arsenal |

After a summer where the Arsenal striker looked set to leave the Emirates for Milan, an image had been portrayed of him being greedy for money but for Togo that couldn’t be further from the truth.
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The Republic of Togo has been under rule of the longest serving leader in African history (after being president for 38 years) at the time of his death in 2005 where his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president. Riots proceeded his election as claims that it was rigged. Even before that the country was ruled by his father who was considered to be a ruthless dictator whereby the The European Union suspended aid in 1993.

The 2006 World Cup was a momentary respite from the rioting in the country as Togo looked to unite the country with an inspiring performance led by star striker and talisman Emmanuel Adebayor Sheyi. But even that didn’t go to plan as rows over appearances and unpaid bonuses over shadowed what was meant to be a momentous moment in the country’s history. The club went without a win and Adebayor even received death threats.

Even after such setbacks the striker and captain is still as popular as ever and is seen as a ray of hope in a struggling country.

“I tried to ask him once and he changed the subject,” said Parfait Akwei, who was instrumental in bringing through Adebayor. “But my personal belief is he has something. I’ve heard some people in Togo say he’s our saviour, that Adebayor is our saviour. They joke he’s more popular than the President. People believe that if there are problems politically then the only thing left is football and that’s Adebayor.”

The row after the World Cup was over money; unpaid bonuses which were promised to the players if they qualified for the tournament and were not received. Adebayor wouldn’t have needed it but his team mates did and he was the leader and captain.

Adebayor’s story wasn’t easy. Born in a poor family with ten people living in two rooms. His parents moved from Nigeria to Togo. As a toddler he was unable to crawl or walk so his mum took him too a church to heal him but before the Pastor was to administer him someone dropped a ball. Little Adebayor was determined to get the ball; he fell over continuously, hurt himself but kept on getting up. Eventually Sheyi walked to the ball; he was destined to play football.

At 15 to join Metz all by himself, leaving his freinds and family behind to journey into the unknown.

“At the airport my mum said ‘You see where we are, where we are living? Go to France, do something good, we need your help.’ I nearly cried that day. I’m leaving my family and I know my family is suffering. I said to myself, ‘Now your time has come.’

‘I was on my own, no support, nobody. On the plane the food was so difficult to eat and when I arrived in France it was freezing. I was so skinny. The next day I go down to breakfast with all my clothes on, my hat on, hands stuffed in pockets and they all start laughing at me. The supervisor told me to take my hat off, hands out of my pockets.

“But that first day, after training the Director of the Academy knocked on my door and said ‘You’re good, your going to stay.’”

The Togolese infrastructure was poor and the wealth very unevenly distributed. Parfait played in Togo’s division two but wanted to do more to help the kids in Togo achieve their dream.

” If you go down to where Adebayor grew up there are 10, 20, so many talented kids but they just go down the drain. There was so much loss and I said such a talented guy would need help, Sheyi’s qualities then were as a midfielder, controlling the situation. He knew when to speed up, give the pass etc. He knew nothing about life but he could make everyone laugh and his talent? Marvelous.”

Soon for Metz he was converted to a striker because of his lanky style and even for not scoring many goals at Monaco there was enough in him to convince Arsene Wenger to sign him. He was in Togo after a fallout with his President at the Monaco where he was told that he would never play for them again when he got the phone call from Wenger.

“I was holidaying in Togo, playing football and my mobile rang. My friend answered it and ran of the pitch saying, ‘Manu it’s Arsene Wenger’ and I’m going ‘Shut up, hang up. Can’t you see I’m playing?’ And he screams again it’s Arsene Wenger. So I run to it and it’s him, that voice that never changes.

“Adebayor, how are you? Would you like to come to Arsenal?

“That’s not a question you can ask me even for free, even if you buy me an air ticket tonight, I will be at that club tomorrow morning. I love that club to death.

“He told me to keep it a secret, or the deal was off. I got back home, took a little bottle of champagne and sat with friends who kept on asking me why so happy? I didn’t say a word or sleep that night. But I told myself ‘even if it doesn’t happen then Arsene Wenger still wanted to buy you. Not because you’re tall, not because you’re beautiful because he sees something in you.’”

Adebayor looked set to leave the club last summer in a £30 million move to either Milan or Barcelona. He stayed and signed a new contract but money isn’t his biggest desire; he’s given £15-20,000 to complete strangers. Even before his determination to succeed for Arsenal he would want to see the people in Togo (and Africa) lead a better life and if it be, he will look to contribute to it.

“One day this will all stop. They won’t ask for my autograph anymore but I have to keep giving something back. Help find talented players, help their dream come true. What am I going to leave behind me? I don’t want to leave a bad name. I want people to judge on what I am and what I do.”

atai · Post time 15-1-2009 10:11 AM

Good article katana!

Adebayor looked set to leave the club last summer in a

atai · Post time 15-1-2009 11:30 AM

DARK SIDE of Modern Football

Korang bace je la..bukan semua dalam sukan ni elok2 saje..

Abbel is now 17 years old and is living in the streets of Paris. It抯 not exactly what he was hoping for when he first came.
Some quotes from Abbel about how he ended up where he is and how his situation is now:
揑 can抰 remember. Maybe it was two years ago. When you go for a long period without food you forget.

katana83 · Post time 15-1-2009 11:32 AM

tengkiu teratai ..

bayor ni all-ronder .. tu aset paling penting dia..

atai · Post time 15-1-2009 11:34 AM

Originally posted by katana83 at 15-1-2009 11:32 AM
tengkiu teratai ..

bayor ni all-ronder .. tu aset paling penting dia..

teratai layu di tasik madu..

atreyudevil · Post time 15-1-2009 04:23 PM

Adeh sungguh sunyi le arinih,
btw slamat petang suma!!
err.!! Hi Atai...

atai · Post time 15-1-2009 05:02 PM

hoiiii

mana pegi suma olang ni..

cak! · Post time 15-1-2009 05:14 PM

atai..ko laki kan

haku tgk ko punya brita kat liga xpert tuh mcm jantan daa..

atai · Post time 15-1-2009 05:17 PM

Originally posted by cak! at 15-1-2009 05:14 PM
atai..ko laki kan
haku tgk ko punya brita kat liga xpert tuh mcm jantan daa..

girls sekarang sumer boleh..

cak! · Post time 15-1-2009 05:21 PM

ye ke..adehh..kompius blk

edmundo · Post time 15-1-2009 05:37 PM

Hai u all....sibuk sikit hari ni...

Sunday ni lwn hull (jelmaan FAM sbb pkai bju belang2 rimau)

Erm....badi lwn team ni....hrp2 dah hilang...

atai · Post time 15-1-2009 05:39 PM

Originally posted by edmundo at 15-1-2009 05:37 PM
Hai u all....sibuk sikit hari ni...

Sunday ni lwn hull (jelmaan FAM sbb pkai bju belang2 rimau)

Erm....badi lwn team ni....hrp2 dah hilang...

ape ko buat petang2 baru nak masuk?

sha02 · Post time 16-1-2009 07:42 AM

EXCLUSIVE: Andrei Arshavin's Agent Blasts 'Bulls***' Rumours

Andrei Arshavin's immediate future remains a matter of uncertainty, after his agent, Denis Lachter, was today highly critical of the number of transfer rumours circulating in the press.

The Russian forward shot to stardom at EURO 2008, following a season in which he starred for Zenit St. Petersburg in their UEFA Cup-winning run. Streams of praise followed for the 27-year-old - who has spent his career so far in relative obscurity with his hometown club - but has now made his desire to move on abundantly clear.

The Zenit No. 10 has on several occasions expressed his desire to play in one of Europe's three major leagues, with a preference for the Spanish Primera Division and in particular, his favourite club, Barcelona. They made a single bid of approximately €15 million that was rejected, and since, the creative forward has tried in vain to find another club.

Tottenham Hotspur were thought to be closest to signing him before the close of the summer transfer window. He has since remained at Zenit and, with January's transfer window now in full effect, been linked with Arsenal, Inter, Bayern Munich and others.

Speaking exclusively to Goal.com, Lachter refused to comment on any specific rumour or Arshavin's current status until next week, but made clear his disappointment with the sheer number of rumoured offers for his client.

"I am really disappointed about a lot of bulls*** in the media initiated by reporters and papers and whatever," he sighed. "That's why I decided to not make any interviews for the next week."

Arsenal are the one club to have had confirmed contact with the forward this month, but manager Arsene Wenger today said that he is "nowhere" near reaching a deal for Arshavin, but "hopeful" that this may change in the remaining 17 days of the transfer window.