African soccer sensation
Who would have thought the recently crowned Confederation of Africa
Football’s (CAF)Player of the Year, Emmanuel Adebayor started out as an immobile toddler? Hajia Adebayor his mother, could only compare him to his two older siblings whose agility was unhampered.
In an act of desperation, she took him to healers in Togo, Nigeria and Ghana and took their advice, but in vein. Supporting her plight, the congregation at a church in Lome, Togo agreed to offer prays for him consistently for one week. It appeared that by the next Sunday, nothing had change. That was until, children playing outside kicked a ball into the church. He leapt up and ran after the ball.
Aghast, the congregations agreed it was a sign Adebayor had football in his blood. Visionaries declared it a gift from God to rid her family of poverty. His God-given gift saw him follow a religious path giving God much credit for where he is today.
He grew into a lanky teenager with soccer skills that were not going to go unnoticed. At the age of 14 he was spotted by French club, FC Metz where he was mentored for two years, before making it to the club’s first team. His goal-scoring was remarkable, totaling 17 goals in 35 games. Once again he caught the attention of talent scouts, this time from Monaco. He scored seven goals in 17 games, bringing the team to the Champions League final in 2004.
Swooped up by Arsenal for just £7 million as a back up striker to captain Thiery Henry, the following season, he soon rose to first choice, with spectacular flair. Last year (2008) he turned in 30 goals in 45 games securing his place for the coveted CAF trophy.
Standing 1, 89 metre tall, the trophy is the first major award for Adebayor and a first for Togo. He beat Ghana’s Michael Essien by eight votes and Egyptian winger, Mohammed Aboutrika by 14 in a poll of coaches and captains of African national teams.
Although his header skills are astounding with 13 of 30 goals this season being butted into the net, his boot scoring is less so. Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger thought he had cause to worry about his choice and was severely mocked. With practise and training, Adebayor has a full range of goal scoring tactics in his arsenal, including long distance, like the one he scored from 35 metres out against Tottenham
recently.
Like many African players, signed by European clubs Adebayor arose from desperately humble beginnings. His mother sold dried fish and his father washed elephants to support their six children.
The results of his hard work have paid handsomely with his weekly pay doubling from £40 000 to £80 0000.He drives a Range Rover and lives with his girlfriend in a luxury apartment in Chelsea near London.