Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (; born 26 February 1984) is a Togolese professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
striker for
Togolese Championnat National
The Championnat National de Premiere Division is a football league featuring clubs from Togo, and is the primary competition of Togolese football. Founded in 1961, it is administered by the Togolese Football Federation.
2021−22 clubs
Group ...
club
Semassi. He previously played for English clubs
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
,
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
,
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
and
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
, as well as French side
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
, Monégasque team
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, Spanish team
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
, Turkish clubs
İstanbul Başakşehir and
Kayserispor
Kayseri Spor Kulübü, commonly known as Kayserispor, is a Turkish professional football club based in Kayseri. They play their home matches at the Kadir Has Stadium in red and yellow kits.
The team has won one Turkish Cup in 2008 and also fini ...
, and Paraguay's
Club Olimpia
Club Olimpia is a Paraguayan sports club based in the city of Asunción. The club promotes the practice of various sports with most importance given to the football, rugby and basketball sides, the former being the highest priority and most s ...
.
He was voted
African Footballer of the Year
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
for 2008 while playing at Arsenal, and during his latter career, he became the most iconic signing in Paraguayan football and the highest paid player in the country's history when he joined Olimpia Asunción in 2020.
Adebayor represented the
Togo national team at the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
in Germany, the country's debut, and to date only, appearance at the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
. In January 2010, Adebayor was one of the players involved when the Togo team's
bus came under gunfire on the way to the
2010 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange (telecommunications), Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial association football, football championship of Africa (Confederat ...
in Angola, after which he retired from national team duty. In 2013, he returned to the Togo team for the
2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa, where he helped them to qualify for the quarter-finals. He is currently Togo's
all-time top goalscorer with 32 goals.
Club career
Early career
Born in
Lomé
Lomé is the capital and largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437 to parents of
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
ethnicity, Adebayor spent most of his youth in Togo, where he attended the Centre de Développement Sportif de Lomé (English: Sports Development Centre of Lomé), also known as Sporting Club de Lomé. Adebayor was spotted playing for Sporting Club de Lomé by scouts from
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
, who brought him to France in 1999. He made his
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
debut against
Sochaux
Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
Soc ...
on 17 November 2001. Following Metz's relegation, he played a season in
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
, where 13 goals in 34 league matches prompted a summer 2003 move to
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
. He featured nine times in Europe as Monaco reached the
2004 UEFA Champions League final
The 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match played on 26 May 2004 to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. AS Monaco, a Monaco-based club representing the French Football Federation, faced Portugue ...
against
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
in
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen (, , ; wep, Gelsenkiärken) is the 25th most populous city of Germany and the 11th most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher River (a tributary of the Rhine), it lies ...
, for which he was an unused substitute in his club's 3–0 loss.
Arsenal
On 13 January 2006,
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
signed Adebayor for a reported
£3 million. He was given the nickname "Baby Kanu" due to his resemblance to former Arsenal star
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu (born 1 August 1976) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of the Nigeria national team, and played for Nigerian team Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, and ...
, whom Adebayor had idolised as a youth. On 4 February 2006, Adebayor made his Arsenal debut in a Premier League match at
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
and scored after 21 minutes, with Arsenal winning 2–0. Adebayor was cup-tied for Arsenal's run to the
2006 UEFA Champions League Final.
Adebayor scored Arsenal's winning goal against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
to give Arsenal a 1–0 win at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
, their first
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
win of the
2006–07 season. Earlier in the match, Adebayor was brought down in the six-yard box to earn Arsenal a penalty, which was taken by
Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (; born 7 October 1976) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder most notably for English Premier League club Arsenal, Super League club Panathinaikos F.C., Clube Atlétic ...
and saved.
![Adebayor arsenal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Adebayor_arsenal.jpg)
Adebayor was sent off in the
2007 League Cup final which Arsenal lost 2–1 to
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. He was shown a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
after a fracas towards the end of the match involving both Chelsea and Arsenal players. It was alleged that he had thrown a punch at
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Everton. He is widely regarded as one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players, and one of the greatest midfielder ...
.
The FA
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and ...
subsequently gave him an additional one-match ban and a fine of £7,500 for failing to leave the field of play immediately, as well as a three-match ban for the red card. Adebayor and Lampard both denied it.
On 15 September 2007, Adebayor's two goals against
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
helped Arsenal win 3–1 in the first
North London derby
The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main rivals, and the derby is c ...
of the season. Adebayor then scored his first hat-trick for Arsenal in a 5–0 home win against
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
on 22 September; this was the second-ever hat-trick scored at Arsenal's
Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. It has a current seated capacity ...
. He was involved in a controversial incident on 22 January in which he clashed with teammate
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner (; born 16 January 1988) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a forward. His preferred position was centre-forward, but he has also played on the right side of attack, and occasionally on the left. A large, ...
seven minutes from the end of a 5–1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Tottenham. Bendtner appeared to cut his nose in the clash, for which Adebayor apologised the following day. Three days later, he scored the 100th goal at the Emirates during the side's 3–0
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
victory over
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
. Starting on 4 March against
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Adebayor went on a goalscoring streak in the
Champions League. Despite having never scored before in the competition, he scored a goal in the second leg against Milan at the
San Siro
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums in ...
.
On 28 April, Adebayor scored his second hat-trick for Arsenal after coming off the bench at half time in a 6–2 victory against Derby County, making him the only player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick home and away against the same side in the same season. Although Arsenal finished the season empty handed, he was named in the
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
.
Adebayor's second goal against Tottenham won ''
Match of the Day
''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights, during the Premier League season. The show's current presenter is former England international striker Gary L ...
's''
Goal of the Season
In English football, the Goal of the Season is an annual competition and award given on BBC's ''Match of the Day'', in honour of the most spectacular goal scored that season. It is typically contested between the winners of the preceding ten Goa ...
competition for the
2007–08 season. He was also awarded the
BBC African Footballer of the Year for his performance in 2008.
In the 2008 summer transfer window, he was linked with £30 million moves to Milan and Barcelona, but later signed a new long-term contract at Arsenal. On 13 September 2008, Adebayor scored a hat trick in Arsenal's 4–0 win away to
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
, scoring his first league goals of the
2008–09 season. Adebayor received his first red card of the season in a 1–1 draw with
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
after an altercation with opposing defender
Álvaro Arbeloa
Álvaro Arbeloa Coca (; born 17 January 1983) is a Spanish retired footballer, currently manager of Real Madrid Juvenil A. He predominantly played as a right-back, and occasionally on the left side.
He started his professional career with R ...
; this was his second bookable offence of the game and therefore served a one-match ban. On 8 February, Adebayor suffered a hamstring injury in Arsenal's 0–0 draw against Tottenham. The injury would keep him out for almost two months, despite initial estimations suggesting only a three-week absence. He made a goalscoring return to action, scoring a brace on his return against
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
.
On 7 April 2009, Adebayor equalized a goal for Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the
Champions League against
Villarreal
Villarreal ( ca-valencia , Vila-real) is a city and municipality in the province of Castellón which is part of the Valencian Community in the east of Spain.
The town is located at 42 m above sea level, 7 km to the south of the province's ...
, in which he chested the ball into his control and then performed a bicycle kick. In the return leg at the Emirates a week later, he scored in a 3–0 Arsenal win, setting up a semi-final showdown with Manchester United. Adebayor, however, was injured for the last two Premier League matches and finished the season as Arsenal's second top goalscorer in all competitions with 16, behind
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball co ...
's 20.
Manchester City
![Adebayor Man City](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Adebayor_Man_City.jpg)
On 18 July 2009, Adebayor signed a five-year contract with Manchester City for a transfer fee believed to be in the region of £25 million. He scored a goal on his debut for City against Blackburn with a shot from 18 yards in the third minute. On his home debut, Adebayor scored in the 17th minute in a 1–0 in over
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
, assisted by fellow summer signing
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Alberto Tevez (; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a winger ...
. He scored in his third consecutive Premier League match, heading the winner in a 1–0 away victory against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
.
Adebayor then scored in his fourth consecutive match, this time against former club Arsenal in a 4–2 victory at the
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., with a domestic football capacity of 53,400, making it the 6th-largest ...
. As a result, he is one of only six players to score in their first four games for a club. In the match against Arsenal, Adebayor's former teammate Robin van Persie accused him of deliberately kicking him in the face, and he was later handed a three-match ban after being found guilty of violent conduct. Adebayor was also criticised for running almost the full length of the pitch to the Arsenal supporters and
celebrating his goal in front of them.
He was booked for this, but did later apologise.
Manchester City manager
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is the manager of Bradford City.
During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, and a ...
suggested Adebayor did it because he wanted to be loved by City fans. Moreover, Arsenal's former Cameroonian defensive midfielder
Alex Song
Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong (born 9 September 1987), better known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for Djiboutian side Arta/Solar7 as a central or defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central defender.
...
, who is one of Adebayor's closest friends in football, alleged he was slapped in the face by Adebayor during City's 4–2 victory, while
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Italian Serie B club Como.
Fàbregas came through ''La Masia'', Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when h ...
, former Arsenal captain, felt that Adebayor had also tried to stamp on him.
For the start of the
2010–11 season, Adebayor was given the number 9 shirt instead of his favoured number 25, which he previously wore at Arsenal and City. He scored his first hat-trick for City on 21 October in a
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
group stage match against
Lech Poznań
Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Lech Poznań S.A., commonly referred to as KKS Lech Poznań or simply Lech Poznań (), is a Polish professional association football, football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation' ...
. In doing so, he became the first Manchester City player to score a hat-trick in a European competition. During the 2010–11 season, however, Adebayor fell down the pecking order at Manchester City following the club purchasing
Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko (; born 17 March 1986) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Inter Milan and captains the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Džeko was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for three years in a ...
, with Carlos Tevez and
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli Barwuah (; ''né'' Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss Super League club Sion.
Balotelli started his professional football career in 2005 at Lumezzane, before ...
also being chosen ahead of him. In August 2011,
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini (; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national team.
As a player, Mancini operated as a deep-lying forward, and was best known for his time at Samp ...
confirmed that Adebayor, along with
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward and is current assistant manager at EFL Championship side Burnley. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy began his senior playing career with Norw ...
, were no longer part of his plans and could leave Manchester City.
Loan to Real Madrid
![Adebayor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Adebayor.jpg)
On 25 January 2011, Adebayor signed a loan deal to play for
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
for the remainder of the
2010–11 season. Adebayor scored his first goal for Real Madrid in the second leg of the
Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
semi-final against
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium ( es, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, ) is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. With a current seating capacity of 81,044, it has been the home stadium of Real Madrid since its completion in 1947. It is the second-larg ...
. The game ended 2–0 with an aggregate score of 3–0.
The following weekend, he scored his first goal in
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
against
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad (; ''Royal Society''), La Real in Spanish, Erreala in Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 Septem ...
, again at the Santiago Bernabéu. The game ended 4–1 and Adebayor scored the last goal within the last 3 minutes of the game. On 6 March 2011, Adebayor scored the opening goal in the 24th minute against
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league system ...
from a
Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil (, ; born 15 October 1988) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Süper Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir. Özil is known for his technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision. He can ...
pass. Real Madrid won the match 3–1. Adebayor was heavily criticised for his performance against
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. (), commonly known as Real Sporting, Sporting Gijón, or simply Sporting (although in an international context this can lead to confusion with Sporting Clube de Portugal) is a Spanish football club from Gijón, P ...
, especially for missing many chances; the match ended 0–1 to Sporting. Adebayor added two goals to his European tally for Madrid with goals against Tottenham Hotspur in a 4–0 win on 5 April 2011. He won his first winner's medal at Real Madrid on 20 April, coming on as a second-half substitute in his side's 1–0 win over Barcelona in the
2011 Copa del Rey final.
Adebayor scored his first hat-trick for Real Madrid on 21 May 2011, in the last round of the
2010–11 La Liga
The 2010–11 La Liga season (known as the ''Liga BBVA'' for sponsorship reasons) was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already ...
season, against
Almería
Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
. In that match, Real Madrid beat Almería 8–1.
Adebayor returned to Manchester City after the Spanish season had finished, but was omitted from their pre-season tour of the United States on 11 July 2011 and later risked a £300,000 fine for refusing to train with the club's reserve and youth teams.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 25 August 2011, Tottenham Hotspur signed Adebayor on a season-long loan. On 10 September 2011, Adebayor scored on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 67th minute. On 18 September 2011, he scored twice on his home debut in a 4–0 win against Liverpool, his second strike marking the 100th league goal of his senior career.
Adebayor also provided the assist for
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart (born 11 February 1983) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and is currently the assistant manager of Danish 2nd Division club Esbjerg fB.
Van der Vaart began his c ...
's goal in their 2–1
North London derby
The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main rivals, and the derby is c ...
win against former club Arsenal on 2 October. He scored his fourth and fifth goal for Tottenham in their 2–0 win against
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
on 21 November, the first with an overhead kick and the second after a mistake from Villa defender
James Collins. He scored another two goals in Tottenham's 3–1 win over
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
. Later on, Adebayor went on to score a further two goals – one a penalty at
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
, and one in a derby against Chelsea where the score ended 1–1.
On 11 February 2012, Adebayor scored on a volley and supplied four assists in the 5–0 win over Newcastle United.
On 26 February, his 28th birthday, Adebayor converted a penalty against Arsenal to bring Spurs 2–0 up at the Emirates which ended in a 5–2 defeat for Tottenham. On 1 April, Adebayor scored two goals in a 3–1 win over
Swansea City. On 15 April 2012, Adebayor provided an assist for
Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and the Wales national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wingers of his generation ...
in Tottenham's only goal in the 5–1 loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final. Adebayor then went on to score goals in back to back games for Tottenham, scoring two against
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
in a 4–1 win at
Reebok Stadium
The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England.
Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming righ ...
and converting a penalty against Aston Villa in a 1–1 draw.
In the final game of his loan spell with Tottenham, Adebayor opened the scoring as Spurs defeated London rivals
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
2–0 on 13 May to secure fourth place in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
.
Adebayor finished the season as Tottenham's top goalscorer, with 18 goals, 17 in the Premier League. On 21 August 2012, Adebayor signed a permanent deal with Tottenham in a deal worth £5 million after a protracted period of negotiations.
![Emmanuel Adebayor 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Emmanuel_Adebayor_2014.jpg)
On 17 November 2012, Adebayor scored an early goal for Tottenham in a North London derby match against Arsenal to put them 1–0 up, but seven minutes later his challenge on
Santi Cazorla
Santiago "Santi" Cazorla González (; born 13 December 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer. A former Spanish international, Cazorla operated primarily as an attacking midfielder, but also played as a winger, central midfielder or as a ...
saw him sent off by referee
Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb MBE (born 14 July 1971) is an English former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League from 2003 to 2014, as well as for FIFA as a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014.
Webb is co ...
. Arsenal went on to win the match 5–2. On 1 January 2013, Adebayor scored his first home goal of the season for Spurs against
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, with a header from an
Aaron Lennon
Aaron Justin Lennon (; born 16 April 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Lennon began his career at hometown club Leeds United, making his first-team debut in 2003 and becoming the youngest player to play ...
cross. Spurs eventually won 3–1. On 14 March 2013, Adebayor scored the decisive away goal that put Spurs through to the quarter-finals of the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
in an aggregate win against
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
. He went on to shoot over the bar following a run-up with a decisive penalty in the following round against
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
, which ultimately resulted in Spurs' elimination from the tournament. He scored a goal on 8 May against Chelsea in a 2–2 draw from outside the penalty box to bring the game level to 1–1. He then scored the winning goal on the following Sunday (12 May 2013) to give Tottenham a 2–1 win at Stoke City on a cross from
Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew Dempsey (; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer ...
in the 83rd minute.
After the sacking of Spurs manager
André Villas-Boas
Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas (; born 17 October 1977) is a Portuguese football manager, who most recently was the manager of Ligue 1 club Marseille. He is one of a growing number of top-level managers who have never played football ...
, who had told the striker to train with the youth team at the start of the
2013–14 season,
Adebayor returned to the Tottenham team under
Tim Sherwood
Timothy Alan Sherwood (born 6 February 1969) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
As a player, he was a midfielder from 1987 until 2005, notably as captain of Blackburn Rovers' Premier League ...
, scoring in a 2–1
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
quarter-final defeat at home to
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
. He went on to score eight goals in his next ten
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
matches, with goals in wins against
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, Manchester United and Swansea City, Everton and Newcastle United.
On 7 April 2014, Adebayor reached ten goals for the Premier League season, scoring twice in a 5–1 home win over
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
.
He ended the season as Spurs' top goalscorer with 14 goals from 25 appearances after scoring in their final Premier League match on 11 May 2014, a 3–0 defeat of Aston Villa at
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane was a Association football, football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater i ...
.
He was released from his Tottenham contract by mutual consent on 13 September 2015.
Crystal Palace
On 26 January 2016, Adebayor joined Premier League side
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
on a six-month deal until
the end of the season. He scored his only goal for the club on 13 February in an ultimate 2–1 loss to
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. On 13 June 2016, it was confirmed that Adebayor would be released upon the expiry of his Palace contract on 30 June.
İstanbul Başakşehir
On 31 January 2017, Adebayor signed a contract with
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...
club
İstanbul Başakşehir until June 2018. He scored six goals in 11 league games over the remainder of the season, including a hat-trick on 10 April in a 4–0 home win over
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...
, as his team finished runners-up. He added another goal from five
Turkish Cup
The Turkish Cup ( Turkish: ''Türkiye Kupası'') is a football cup competition in Turkish football, run by the Turkish Football Federation since 1962. During a brief sponsorship period with Fortis, its sponsored name was ''Fortis Türkiye Kupası ...
games, where his team was again runners-up.
Adebayor scored another hat-trick against Galatasaray on 19 November 2017, in a 5–1 win at the
Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium
The Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium ( tr, Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu) is a football stadium in the Başakşehir district of Istanbul, Turkey. The stadium is named in honour of Turkish footballer and manager Fatih Terim.
Opened offici ...
.
On 20 June 2019, Adebayor left İstanbul Başakşehir.
Kayserispor
On 26 August 2019, Adebayor joined Turkish
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...
side
Kayserispor
Kayseri Spor Kulübü, commonly known as Kayserispor, is a Turkish professional football club based in Kayseri. They play their home matches at the Kadir Has Stadium in red and yellow kits.
The team has won one Turkish Cup in 2008 and also fini ...
on a one-year contract. He left the club in December 2019.
Olimpia
Adebayor joined
Paraguayan Primera División
The División Profesional de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (; "Professional Division of the Paraguayan Football Association"), also known as the Primera División (; "first division"), or due to sponsorship reasons Copa de Primera TIGO-Vis ...
club
Olimpia Asunción
Club Olimpia is a Paraguayan sports club based in the city of Asunción. The club promotes the practice of various sports with most importance given to the football, rugby and basketball sides, the former being the highest priority and most su ...
on 11 February 2020, on a free transfer from Kayserispor. On his arrival in Paraguay on 14 February, Adebayor was met by a crowd at the
Silvio Pettirossi International Airport
Silvio Pettirossi International Airport is an international airport in Luque, Paraguay, which serves Paraguay's capital city, Asunción, and indirectly serves the nearby city of Clorinda, Formosa in Argentina. The airport is named after Paraguay ...
. He signed a contract after a successful medical examination and was officially presented at the
Estadio Manuel Ferreira
The Estadio Manuel Ferreira, known as Estadio Tigo Manuel Ferreira due to sponsorship by telecommunications company Tigo, is a football stadium in Asunción, Paraguay. It is the home venue of Club Olimpia and is named after former club presiden ...
. He was allocated the number 25 jersey. Adebayor was reunited at Olimpia with his former Manchester City teammate
Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero (; born 16 August 1981) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Paraguayan club Club Libertad. He is the record goal scorer and has earned over 100 caps for the Paraguay national team, ...
, who had returned to the club in 2016. Adebayor said that it was the influence of Santa Cruz that convinced him to join Olimpia.
On 23 February, Adebayor made his debut for Olimpia in the
Paraguayan Superclásico against
Cerro Porteño
Club Cerro Porteño is a professional Paraguayan football club, based in the neighbourhood of Obrero in Asunción. Founded in 1912, Cerro has won 34 Primera División titles and is one of the most popular football clubs in Paraguay. Its presi ...
in a 1–1 home draw, coming on after half time in place of Santa Cruz. On 5 March, Adebayor made his first appearance in the
2020 Copa Libertadores
The 2020 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores was the 61st edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the ''Copa Libertadores''), South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
On 17 October 2019, CONMEBOL announced ...
in a 1–1 away draw against Ecuadorian club
Delfin, replacing Santa Cruz in the 80th minute.
On 9 March 2020, he made his second and last league appearance against
River Plate Asunción in a 1–1 home draw, playing the full 90 minutes at Olimpia's Estadio Manuel Ferreira. Three days later, Adebayor played in the Copa Libertadores against Argentine club
Defensa y Justicia
Club Social y Deportivo Defensa y Justicia, commonly known as Defensa y Justicia, is an Argentine football club from Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, established in 1935. . In the 73rd minute of the fixture Adebayor received a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
for a flying kick on
Enzo Coacci
Enzo Gabriel Coacci (born 9 August 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger or midfielder for Estudiantes de Río Cuarto, on loan from Defensa y Justicia.
Career
Coacci's career got underway with Olimpo of Primera B ...
when disputing an aerial ball, jumping for the ball with his right foot forward which impacted the opponent's face. This was Adebayor's last appearance for the club. In the same month, Adebayor travelled to
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
to undergo quarantine with his family amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
In April, Adebayor stated during a
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
post that he would return to Paraguay in two more weeks.
At the beginning of July, it was announced that Adebayor, who was contracted until December, would not return to the club, by mutual consent, due to the high risk of the contagious virus during travel and that the flights and stop offs were complicated. That same month, Adebayor stated that he wanted to return to Olimpia at some point. Adebayor played four games for Olimpia from February to March.
Semassi
After his spell at Olimpia, Adebayor signed for
Togolese Championnat National
The Championnat National de Premiere Division is a football league featuring clubs from Togo, and is the primary competition of Togolese football. Founded in 1961, it is administered by the Togolese Football Federation.
2021−22 clubs
Group ...
club
Semassi in July 2021.
International career
![Emmanuel Adebayor1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Emmanuel_Adebayor1.jpg)
Adebayor was also eligible to play for
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
but chose to represent the country of his birth,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
. Adebayor helped Togo qualify for the
2006 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2006 Africa Cup of Nations was the 25th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa. It was hosted by Egypt. Just like in 2004, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Egypt w ...
after scoring 11 goals in the qualifiers, more than any other player in the African qualifiers. On 10 February 2009, the
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football, or CAF for short (french: link=yes, Confédération Africaine de Football, ar, link=yes, الاتحاد الأفريقي لكرة القدم, al-Ittiḥād al-Afrīqī li-Kurat al-Qadam), is the administ ...
(CAF) picked Adebayor as the
African Footballer of the Year
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
for 2008 at an awards ceremony held in
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, Nigeria. Adebayor beat final nominees
Mohamed Aboutrika
Mohamed Mohamed Mohamed Aboutrika (Arabic: محمد محمد محمد أبوتريكة (repeated three times); born 7 November 1978) is an Egyptian retired professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and a forward. He came se ...
of Egypt and Ghana's
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder and is currently a member of Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjælland, Nordsjælland's coaching staff. He was ...
in a vote that involved the national team coaches of CAF's 54 member-nations. It was the first time a Togolese won the award as Africa's best player.
Adebayor helped Togo to qualify for the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
in Germany and started all three group matches against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, but did not score any goals and Togo ended up in last place in their group. Adebayor was made team captain after the finals.
Adebayor was called up for the
2006 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2006 Africa Cup of Nations was the 25th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa. It was hosted by Egypt. Just like in 2004, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Egypt w ...
, where he was a substitute for the country's first match, following a row with the coach. Adebayor first vowed to leave the tournament and return home, although he later resumed training with the side. Togo were eliminated after losing all three matches. He was dropped by Togo following the row over bonus payments.
However, Adebayor was brought back into the Togo team in September 2007. On 11 October 2008, he scored four goals in Togo's 6–0 hammering of
Swaziland
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
during the
World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is a competitive match that a national association football team takes in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the (men's) FIFA World Cup.
Qualifying tournaments are hel ...
rounds.
Despite being injured, Adebayor played for Togo against
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. In the match, he scored the only goal for Togo to seal the win.
On 8 January 2010, Adebayor was one of the players involved when the Togo national football team attack, Togo national team's bus came under a gunfire attack on the way to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. The fatal attack, in which all the players survived but three other people were killed, led to Togo withdrawing from the tournament. Adebayor consequently announced his retirement from international football on 12 April 2010 in a statement which read, "I have weighed up my feelings in the weeks and months since the attack and I am still haunted by the events which I witnessed on that horrible afternoon on the Togo team bus. 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."
Adebayor subsequently returned to international duty in November 2011 following assurances from the Togolese Football Federation regarding safety, making his comeback in a 1–0 win over Guinea-Bissau national football team, Guinea-Bissau in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, 2014 World Cup qualifier.
After refusing to play earlier in the year, he was recalled again in November 2018. In March 2019, he was selected for the decisive 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Benin national football team, Benin.
Style of play
Upon signing for Arsenal, the club's manager Arsene Wenger likened Adebayor to one of his major influences as a striker,
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu (born 1 August 1976) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of the Nigeria national team, and played for Nigerian team Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, and ...
, and described him as "tall, good in the air" and capable of making good runs behind the defenders. Adebayor even wore the Squad number (association football), number 25 shirt at Arsenal, like his Idol, and the number 4 shirt at international level, while he was even given the nickname "Baby Kanu" in the media due to their similar playing styles.
He was also known for his pace, strength, and technique, as well as his goalscoring and ability to link-up with his teammates. However, he was also notorious for his lack of discipline, in particular in his early career.
Media career
Adebayor was a Pundit (expert), pundit for the BBC, BBC Sport's 2010 FIFA World Cup coverage.
Personal life
Adebayor is married and has a daughter named Kendra (born June 2010). He is the uncle of Georgia Revolution FC midfielder Alex Harlley.
In his childhood, Adebayor and his family lived in an apartment without electricity or bathrooms, and to shower themselves, they would go to the beach.
Adebayor has spoken about his faith, saying, "Everything I do in life I put in the hands of God in Christianity, God, my creator. He gave me the chance to be where I am today and He's the one that can take it all away from me. There is nothing more important for me than God." Adebayor could not walk for the first four years of his life. His mother took young Adebayor around Africa looking for a cure. Adebayor then spoke about his "miracle" saying, "I was in the church laying down and, around nine or ten o'clock on the Sunday morning, I could hear children playing outside. Suddenly somebody kicked a ball into the church. And the first person to stand up and run was me, because I wanted to get that ball."
On 5 May 2015, Adebayor made a lengthy post on his public
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page describing his family troubles. These troubles included several relatives asking for large amounts of money, his sister renting out a house he had bought for her without him knowing, and complications surrounding the death of his brother Peter. In July 2017, Adebayor stated in an interview regarding his family issues that his late brother had sent an official letter to Real Madrid asking them to not keep Adebayor on after his loan spell.
Career statistics
Club
International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
International goals
:''Scores and results list Togo's goal tally first.''
Honours
Monaco
*UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, 2003–04
Arsenal
*EFL Cup, Football League Cup runner-up: 2006–07 Football League Cup, 2006–07
Real Madrid
*
Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
: 2010–11 Copa del Rey, 2010–11
Crystal Palace
*
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
runner-up: 2015–16 FA Cup, 2015–16
Togo
*Four Nations Tournament (Ghana) third place: 2007
Individual
*
BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2007
*African Player of the Year: 2008
*BBC Goal of the Season: 2007–08
*
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
: 2007–08
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
*
BBC World Service: African Footballer of the Year 2008*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adebayor, Emmanuel
1984 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lomé
Yoruba sportspeople
2002 African Cup of Nations players
2006 Africa Cup of Nations players
2006 FIFA World Cup players
2010 Africa Cup of Nations players
2013 Africa Cup of Nations players
2017 Africa Cup of Nations players
African Footballer of the Year winners
Arsenal F.C. players
AS Monaco FC players
Association football forwards
Club Olimpia footballers
Crystal Palace F.C. players
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in France
Expatriate footballers in Monaco
Expatriate footballers in Paraguay
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Turkey
FC Metz players
İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. players
Kayserispor footballers
La Liga players
Ligue 1 players
Ligue 2 players
Manchester City F.C. players
Paraguayan Primera División players
Premier League players
Real Madrid CF players
Süper Lig players
Togo international footballers
Togolese Christians
Togolese expatriate footballers
Togolese expatriate sportspeople in England
Togolese expatriate sportspeople in France
Togolese expatriates in Paraguay
Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Togolese footballers
Togolese people of Nigerian descent
Sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
21st-century Togolese people