Manchester City and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement from international football.

The decision comes three months after the gun attack on the Togo team bus during this year's Africa Cup of Nations, in which three people died.

A statement from the 26-year-old said: "Following those tragic events, I have made the very difficult decision to retire from international football.

"I am still haunted by the events I witnessed on that horrible afternoon."

He added: "I have weighed up my feelings in the weeks and months since the attack.

"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.
The Togo team were attacked by gunmen as they made their way from a training camp in the Republic of Congo to in Cabinda City, Angola on 8 January.

Two Togolese officials and an Angolan bus driver were killed in the attack which prompted the Togolese government to pull their country out of the event.

That intervention led to Togo being handed a four-year ban from competing in the competition, a sanction over which they are currently embroiled in an appeal process.

The attack inevitably overshadowed the start of the Cup of Nations - a showpiece event for both Angola, recovering from years of war, and African football ahead of the World Cup in June, which the continent is hosting for the first time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8616196.stm

All glory to the babaric act of the Angolian rebels and to the Ignorant decision of the CAF.

Bye bye, your loss, you won't be missed in the nations cup.

Should have played for Nigeria, Togo don't do much as far as international soccer is concerned.

I guess he felt to francophone huh>

O ti baje!

hey yah buy garri adebayor

I knew he wil retire so soon

I guess every other player in that bus should do the same. Togo's lose Man City's gain. He was always reluctant when it came to national duty.

I guess every other player in that bus should do the same. Togo's lose Man City's gain. He was always reluctant when it came to national duty.

@zoraro,
maybe u are mistaken adebayor for someone else.

@topic,
hayatou and co are killing african football.
a team was invited to a tourne, they were hijacked, attacked and killed and what did caf do in consolation? ban them. that is the height of madness.
is good that adebayor retires alive to concentrate of his carrier at least to be alive to take care of his family.

chidichris:


hayatou and co are killing african football.
a team was invited to a tourne, they were hijacked, attacked and killed and what did caf do in consolation? ban them. that is the height of madness.
is good that adebayor retires alive to concentrate of his carrier at least to be alive to take care of his family.

Exactly, He better concentrate on his international career when human life are been valued, not in Africa you get punished for reacting to the death of your loved one.

who cares ? *hiiiiiiisssssss*

My guy was looking for an excuse to quit international football, did the scenario of the fatally drown Zambian or Gambian players left the others quitting international football? 

OR

Does it mean if it happens once it will definitely repeat itself?


Ultimately, what if Adebayo was part of a world class team like Brazil, Germany, England, USA, Spain,France, Egypt or even Nigeria, I mean a team prospectively worthy of football glory, would he have taken that decision?

I sympathise with Adebayor and Togo as a country, but his retirement on the back of this is unbelievable.
Does this mean that Manchester City FC cannot be attacked by terrorists or gunmen on their way to Europe or even a premiership game?

well, good for him. He has made his decisions and I guess that is what is best for him.

hahahahh, make we dey cry?   abi em na okocha make we miss?

babaogun:

I sympathise with Adebayor and Togo as a country, but his retirement on the back of this is unbelievable.
Does this mean that Manchester City FC cannot be attacked by terrorists or gunmen on their way to Europe or even a premiership game?

Thanks you my brother oooooo

My guy was looking for an excuse to quit international football, did the scenario of the fatal drown Zambian players left the others quitting international football?

@Ranks007,
be frank, what will u do in the event of being attacked by gunmen, held hostage for like 3 hrs and loose three team mates or staffs in the inccident and to crown it all, the organizers cover the secuirty lapses with a ban on the team for dying.
let us be reasonable and humane here.his accounts for why africa keeps on going backward on daily bases.

chidichris:

@zoraro,
maybe u are mistaken adebayor for someone else.

sorry, I thought it was Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (born 26 February 1984), a footballer born in Togo to Nigerian parents. Who plays as a striker for English Premier League team Manchester City and played in the same position for the Togo national team who previously played for FC Metz, AS Monaco and Arsenal, and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008.

zoraro:

sorry, I thought it was Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (born 26 February 1984), a footballer born in Togo to Nigerian parents. Who plays as a striker for English Premier League team Manchester City and played in the same position for the Togo national team who previously played for FC Metz, AS Monaco and Arsenal, and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008.

Lol!sarcasm at its best

WHO CARES hissssss
the fact is adebayor has never been patriotic to that country,
can any footballer do that to the likes of England,Germany etc
adebayor is a fool he always see himself above that country

y cant people be honest about their feelings, a team attending an international event were ambushed and attacked by gun men.

d issue here are very divergent and comes with its lows and highs, CAF disappointed all soccer loving fans world over, even fifa said so, rather than console the team, people and govt of togo, caf acting irrationally and without feelings rubbed salt on their already wounded souls.

that Adebayor choose to play for Togo n not Naija isnt the issue here as their are several many naija players out there who dont give a damn and play for other countries, the issues are;

1. caf goofed;
2. what playing time would he have left after 4yrs
3. he is a pro' player

most decisions in life are subjective in choices but the decider takes soul sole responsibility for them n i support adebayor as long as he is happy.

Ade - who? well he can concentrate on man city now,

All of you on nairaland that will just be opening your mouths to talk carelessly, may it not happen to you that uare face to face with death and u even miss dear ones in the process. The trauma alone is hard to deal with.

But people will just be writing anything that comes to their minds. Sure some hearts are stonedead.

My dear Adebayo, I know that feeling, may God help you thru it so u donst continue in depression. U'll get thru it.

This should not come as a surprise anyone, not me as a person anyway. Does he assume every ANC will be played in Congo? Any man will be moved by the incident but you will expect him to get over it with time and not rush to make a decision like this considering the next tournament is still far away.
Does that mean all players on the coach that day should retire from playing for Togo?, those who really love the country will contine. Take into account that an incident worse than that can happen in one's personal house.
As I will like to wish him all the best, I hope he shows love for the game more and more at any level and situation.

To me its too early for adebayor to retire from national football,how old is he? 26! CAF is very stupid, they are meant to console but instead they ban.Foolish ppl. Thank God he was not among the ppl that was shoot dead.

That is Africa mentality. They don't value human being. He is trying to retire, may be he has seen that the dead onse are not compersate very well so he assumed if he mistakenly be a victim one day that his story will just end without kobo being given to his family.

In political settings where public officials are held accountable for their actions, somebody with Mr. Babangida’s history of numerous manifest crimes against Nigeria and Nigerians would have long been sentenced to a stiff jail term and permanently barred from participation in his country’s public affairs. Babangida’s ambition to maneuver himself once more into power is arrogant, condescending and downright insensitive to the feelings of Nigerians whose affairs he ruined during his term as military dictator.

It is certain that the outcome of Babangida’s inordinate presidential run will depend on Nigerians’ collective resistance or acquiescence. Enlightened Nigerians cannot afford inaction or consent by default in the face of the avoidable train wreck that is a Babangida presidency.

There is no question that, in the coming weeks and months, unscrupulous Nigerian politicians, hired hagiographers and commentators, will come out in droves to champion Babangida and to try to rewrite his tragic history. Many of these would-be praise singers have a record for contributing to the ruination of Nigeria through their own corrupt practices.

We are confident, however, that Babangida will be stopped by the strong will of the vast majority of decent, conscientious Nigerians. These forward-looking citizens have every reason to stoutly defend the right of Nigeria to move away from her sordid past embodied and represented by the likes of Babangida. They have the energy, passion and vision to ensure the transformation of Nigeria into a 21st century nation that is able to serve the legitimate aspirations of her citizenry and to command the respect of other nations.

Nigeria should move forward, not backward. The country abounds with talent, at home and abroad, able to arrest her stagnation and turn her into an enviable, even model, polity. The Babangidas in our midst only know how to take Nigeria further away from the path of meaningful development and significant progress.

To reward Babangida with Nigeria’s highest political office despite his atrocities would indeed establish a terrible precedence and encourage political leaders in the continued destruction of Nigeria. Surely, this is not the kind of signal Nigerians want to send.

The Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum (NDLF) is aware of the ill-advised encouragement that some foreign governments have provided Babangida. We condemn in the strongest terms this attempt by foreign powers to foist a certified disaster on the Nigerian people, a move bound to perpetuate and deepen Nigeria’s crisis of development and stultified democracy.

In order to register the outrage and resistance of Nigerians, NDLF will forward a petition letter; http://petition.ndlf-ng.org with signatures of Nigerians to the US government as well as other governments in Europe that may be goading Babangida to steal power.

This petition should serve as the cry of millions of Nigerians who say NO TO IBB and to the foreign governments around the world that may be sponsoring him. This signature petition drive is one of numerous activities NDLF intends to embark upon to STOP IBB and his likes from continuing to hold Nigeria hostage.

We also encourage individuals in their own ways to mount a campaign against Babangida in an effort to take our country back. We enjoin Nigeria’s labor unions, civil organizations, professional bodies, artisans, religious groups, and ethnic group associations to rise in rejection of a Babangida presidency. IBB poses such a serious threat to the interests of Nigerians that we should forge a mass movement to demand that Nigeria must move forward and say NO TO IBB.

If you believe that Nigeria should not be sacrificed to Babangida’s unpatriotic and nefarious whims and egotistical ambitions, please sign the petition; http://petition.ndlf-ng.org. We also urge you to forward it to ALL the Nigerian contacts in your email box – and persuade them to sign.

You can also print copies of the petition and hand it to Nigerians in the streets, churches, mosques, and homes. Explain to them that the stakes are high – and they need to make their voices heard. Signed copies of the petition should be emailed to petition@ndlf-ng.org. Please avoid apathy and indifference. Be involved in this struggle to free our beloved country.

Go to http://petition.ndlf-ng.org and make your voice heard. FREE NIGERIA: SAY NO TO IBB

fugocisse:

In political settings where public officials are held accountable for their actions, somebody with Mr. Babangida’s history of numerous manifest crimes against Nigeria and Nigerians would have long been sentenced to a stiff jail term and permanently barred from participation in his country’s public affairs. Babangida’s ambition to maneuver himself once more into power is arrogant, condescending and downright insensitive to the feelings of Nigerians whose affairs he ruined during his term as military dictator.

It is certain that the outcome of Babangida’s inordinate presidential run will depend on Nigerians’ collective resistance or acquiescence. Enlightened Nigerians cannot afford inaction or consent by default in the face of the avoidable train wreck that is a Babangida presidency.

There is no question that, in the coming weeks and months, unscrupulous Nigerian politicians, hired hagiographers and commentators, will come out in droves to champion Babangida and to try to rewrite his tragic history. Many of these would-be praise singers have a record for contributing to the ruination of Nigeria through their own corrupt practices.

We are confident, however, that Babangida will be stopped by the strong will of the vast majority of decent, conscientious Nigerians. These forward-looking citizens have every reason to stoutly defend the right of Nigeria to move away from her sordid past embodied and represented by the likes of Babangida. They have the energy, passion and vision to ensure the transformation of Nigeria into a 21st century nation that is able to serve the legitimate aspirations of her citizenry and to command the respect of other nations.

Nigeria should move forward, not backward. The country abounds with talent, at home and abroad, able to arrest her stagnation and turn her into an enviable, even model, polity. The Babangidas in our midst only know how to take Nigeria further away from the path of meaningful development and significant progress.

To reward Babangida with Nigeria’s highest political office despite his atrocities would indeed establish a terrible precedence and encourage political leaders in the continued destruction of Nigeria. Surely, this is not the kind of signal Nigerians want to send.

The Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum (NDLF) is aware of the ill-advised encouragement that some foreign governments have provided Babangida. We condemn in the strongest terms this attempt by foreign powers to foist a certified disaster on the Nigerian people, a move bound to perpetuate and deepen Nigeria’s crisis of development and stultified democracy.

In order to register the outrage and resistance of Nigerians, NDLF will forward a petition letter; http://petition.ndlf-ng.org with signatures of Nigerians to the US government as well as other governments in Europe that may be goading Babangida to steal power.

This petition should serve as the cry of millions of Nigerians who say NO TO IBB and to the foreign governments around the world that may be sponsoring him. This signature petition drive is one of numerous activities NDLF intends to embark upon to STOP IBB and his likes from continuing to hold Nigeria hostage.

We also encourage individuals in their own ways to mount a campaign against Babangida in an effort to take our country back. We enjoin Nigeria’s labor unions, civil organizations, professional bodies, artisans, religious groups, and ethnic group associations to rise in rejection of a Babangida presidency. IBB poses such a serious threat to the interests of Nigerians that we should forge a mass movement to demand that Nigeria must move forward and say NO TO IBB.

If you believe that Nigeria should not be sacrificed to Babangida’s unpatriotic and nefarious whims and egotistical ambitions, please sign the petition; http://petition.ndlf-ng.org. We also urge you to forward it to ALL the Nigerian contacts in your email box – and persuade them to sign.

You can also print copies of the petition and hand it to Nigerians in the streets, churches, mosques, and homes. Explain to them that the stakes are high – and they need to make their voices heard. Signed copies of the petition should be emailed to petition@ndlf-ng.org. Please avoid apathy and indifference. Be involved in this struggle to free our beloved country.

Go to http://petition.ndlf-ng.org and make your voice heard. FREE NIGERIA: SAY NO TO IBB

i guez you must have mistaken this thread for something else. so please review and post to the appropriate section.
what is the correlation between Babagida and Adebayor?
please for time sake brush your brain clean before replying next time.
thanks.

bye bye. we wont miss u ooooooooooooooooooo!

Just an excuse to live. Why punish his country. His country did not put the ban on themselves. CAF did. If all other players in Togo resigned like him, who would play. He is resigning but if Togo qualified for the World Cup, I bet you he wouldn't have resigned.

There is nothing more Togo has to offer anyway. They cant play Nation's Cup; i doubt they can evem make it to the next world cup stage.

But the goons in CAF are very very insensitive. Y ban Togo for what cam upon them. I mean those people are sick in the groin!!

byeeeeeee

if togo govt can do it, it will be in the interest of football if the country as a whole will boycot all caf organised matches until propare attention is paid to the attack on the country's reps in angola that killed 3 of their reps.
where else in the world can this kind of shit happen?
that along is raisning issues in the sa 2010 as many who intended coming are reconsidering their decissions.
england was quick to suggest a possible pull out if the security of their reps is not assured.
what if adebayor died? will those of us here saying craps be acting in the same manner?
caf shld have been reasonable enough to consider what it means loosing two people in the same bus and entering the picth to play.
africans behave like goats and that is how they are treated outside africa.

issa hayatou and his cronies are idiots. If it were one of their children in those buses would they met out such tratement on in the aftermath.

It si very disrespectful for the people who died on that day and their only excuse is that they are abiding by rules.

Well MR Hayatou or what ever you call your seld

THE RULES WERE MADE FOR MAN AND NOT MAN FOR THE RULES

You idiots need to reason some times,