Emmanuel Adebayor Lashes Out at European Clubs over AFCON Threats

• Adebayor represented his country in numerous AFCON tournaments before and will be hoping to be included in the squad for next year's tournament
• The former Togo captain resigned from international football in 2010 following a fatal attack on the Togo team bus, before returning later
• Adebayor has been very vocal about the threats from European clubs to stop their players from competing in the tournament

Former Togo captain, Emmanuel Adebayor hit out at European clubs over threats that they would stop African players from competing in next year's African Cup of Nations.

Numerous European clubs, including the Premier League's Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, recently wrote to FIFA over concerns that players' safety could not be guaranteed due to the new Omicron variant sparking a Covid19 resurgence.

The clubs threatened to stop players from participating in the continental showcase, which prompted Adebayor to speak out.

"There is no coach in the world that can prevent me from playing at the AFCON," he told GHANAsoccernet, Kick Off reported.

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He described it as, '"Disgusting that some persons are trying to prevent the African players from playing at the AFCON."

Adebayor played over 80 games for the Togolese national team and is a former Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur player. He initially retired from the national team in 2010 after the team bus came under gunfire on their way to an AFCON match. Three people were killed in the attack.

He returned to the team after receiving assurances that he would be safe and in 2019 was selected again for Togo's AFCON qualifying games.

The European clubs also suggested that the tournament be postponed until the new variant subsides. Clubs are expected to release players at the end of December ahead of next month's tournament.

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CAF President Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the tournament would go ahead despite calls for it to be postponed, Soccer Laduma reported. AFCON will kick off on 9 January with hosts Cameroon taking on Burkina Faso.

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Adebayor's views are shared by social media users

Fans took to Twitter to share their views on the European club's threats to not release their players for the continental competition.

@UsherKomugisha

"The AFCON 2021 will take place in Cameroon starting January 9 to February 6, 2022. Mark your calendars. The EUROs were played across 11 countries in the middle of this global pandemic and all of a sudden playing the AFCON in one country is a problem? Say no to neocolonialism!"

Moroccan coach Vahid Halilhodžić also said players would not be called up for national squads if they listened to their clubs and boycotted the tournament.

European clubs threaten to stop African players from participating in 2022 AFCON

Rumours are abounding that players who are set to represent their nations at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) may be stopped from doing so by the European Clubs Association (ECA), which represents leading clubs across the continent, sister website, Briefly News, recently reported.

The continental showpiece is scheduled to kick off in Cameroon on 9 January and run until 6 February, with several Premier League and Ligue 1 players in the running to run out for their respective countries.