Tottenham‘s Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor has come out of retirement and declared that he is available for the Sparrow Hawks 2014 world qualifier match against Guinea-Bissau next week.
Adebayor who had retired from the national side following a gun attack on the Togolese team bus as it made its way into Angola for the African Cup of Nations last January, has received assurances from the TFF (Togo Football Federation) that player safety will be the of uttermost importance.
Speaking to the BBC, an elated Adebayor said that he was ready to return to the national side.
“I am happy to say that I am returning for Togo and will avail myself for next week’s game against Guinea Bissau,”
“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.”
Of course, the next few days will see league action take a break as attention turns to key international fixtures across Europe, Africa, Asia,and the Americas.
In Europe, England prepare to take on Spain in a friendly match tomorrow at the iconic Wembley stadium in a match that had already started generating controversy for other reasons.
FIFA apparently banned the England football team from wearing poppies on their jersey’s in honour of Remembrance Day saying that no team is allowed to make changes to their official kit.
Remembrance day is marked in all commonwealth countries to sicne the end of World War 1 to remember the members of armed forces who have died in the line of duty.
However, after protests from war veterans and related associations including the British Prime Minister David Cameron, FIFA has gone back on its earlier decision and has allowed England to wear the Poppy.
The match is a friendly but nothing will be friendly about it as both countries will want to improve on their world rankings. My prediction, 2-1 loss for the 3 lions.
Photo Credit © topcornertekkers
