Togo – Adebayor “I’m here to make my team win”

The captain of Togo, Emmanuel Adebayor opened the score in their match against Algeria (2-0) which kept the hope of the Togolese squad alive for qualifying for the quarter finals of the AFCON 2013. He claims that his mission is not fame and fortune, but to score goals.

What was your first reaction?

“We are very happy especially given that we had our backs against the wall; we knew that we had to win at all costs if we wanted to qualify. We gave it our all and it paid off. I would like to congratulate all the players in the team. I, personally, am delighted to have scored my first goal in the final round of the AFCON. The first goal is always important and I hope that there will be many more to come.”

You may have scored, but we still haven’t seen the great Adebayor…

“The most important thing it not to see the great Adebayor, but to see a goal-scoring Adebayor. My mission is to score goals. For me, we had to win that match and that is what we did. If people think that they haven’t seen the great Adebayor, so be it. I haven’t come here for fame and glory, but to win matches. I never mix business with pleasure; that will come when I am on holiday in May”.

Are you happy to be part of the national squad?

“My country has been through both hard and good times. Togolese football is always going through hard times. In 2008-2009, there was an attack and a helicopter which crashed in Sierra Leone. In 2010, there was a coach and a press attaché who lost their lives. We had a goalie who, unfortunately, can never play football again. Someone needed to take action; given that I am the captain, it had to be me. Today things are going a lot better, I have come back home and everything has more or less gone back to normal and I hope that it continues that way. If the government, the people and everyone else are willing to roll up their sleeves and believe in Togo, we can achieve great things together. I am overjoyed to be here, especially now that Togo is ever so close to a historic qualifier”.

Source: afcon2013online.com