Football
ESPN staff 8y

Emmanuel Adebayor turns down Togo call-up to focus on Crystal Palace

Emmanuel Adebayor has said no to a Togo call-up because he wants to concentrate on club football at Crystal Palace.

Togo called the striker -- who joined Palace in January and has scored once for them so far -- into their squad for the African Nations Cup qualifier against Tunisia.

But former Spurs player Adebayor, 32, wrote on his Facebook page that he would turn the call-up down.

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Salut mes chers compatriotes, cette lettre explique clairement ma décision. Merci pour votre compréhension. Mesdames...

Posted by Emmanuel Adebayor on Monday, 7 March 2016

He last played for Togo in June and had been out of favour since failing to attend an African Nations Cup qualifier against Djibouti in September.

"I thank you for having me selected for the matches against Tunisia," he wrote. "However, I don't think this is the opportune moment.

"I just signed for a new team in London, and I'm doing everything I can to be at 100 percent physically and mentally.

"I am practicing very hard with Crystal Palace... I do not wish to interrupt this training."

He said he hoped Togo would enjoy "a great success" and would be watching the games "as your biggest fan."

Togo coach Tom Saintfiet, with whom Adebayor has had an often turbulent working relationship, told the BBC he still hoped to persuade him to play.

He said: "Me, as national team coach, I want Adebayor to return to the national team, I want him to be there, I want him to play and I want him to score goals for our country."

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