Africa Sports

Adebayor reveals why he ditched Ghana for Togo

Legendary footballer Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed that a language barrier killed his interest in playing for Ghana at the beginning of his career.

The former Tottenham Hotspur attacker noted that he was invited to join one of the junior national teams after excelling in interschool games.

However, the former Arsenal striker indicated that when he reported to camp, most of the players were interacting in local languages, which made him unhappy in camp as he could not communicate with his colleagues.

“In interschool competitions, I was captain. We then played inter-district, and I was captain again. We played inter-region, and I was captain at the time.

“Then I got the opportunity to join the national team, and we went to camp in Accra. When I went to camp, they were speaking Twi and Ga, which I couldn’t understand,” he said, as quoted by ghanasoccernet.com.

Adebayor further disclosed that he woke up at dawn, joined a bus, and departed for Lomé, Togo, to play for the national team because he is more familiar with their culture.

“So, around 4 a.m., I packed my bag, grabbed my box, and boarded the first bus, which we call a trotro, heading towards Lomé, and I went back home,” he said.

Adebayor debuted for Togo in 2000 and established his legacy as the nation’s all-time top scorer.

His spectacular performance helped Togo qualify for their first-ever Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in 2006.

Adebayor’s footballing exploits earned him the honor of becoming the first Togolese to win the African Footballer of the Year award in 2008.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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