Days after Togo National Team’s all time top scorer Emmanuel Adebayor turned down call up for the  forth coming AFCON 2017 qualifiers, Head Coach Tom Saintfiet is hopeful the Cystal Palace man will rethink his stand.

Adebayor who returned to active football – signing for the English Premier League side in January  after being released by Tottenham 10 months ago declined an offer to don national colors against Tunisia on March 26 saying he wants to concentrate on his game at club level to gain full fitness.

“I thank you for having me selected for the matches against Tunisia. However, I don’t think this is the opportune moment. Adebayor posted on his Facebook page.

“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’m practicing very hard with Crystal Palace… (and) I do not wish to interrupt this training,”

“I have to decline your offer to be part of the team for these games. I wish you a great success for these matches and I will follow as your biggest fan.”

But Tom is not giving up on the 32 years old former skipper just yet.

“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,” He was quoted by BBC Sport.

“We have still a few weeks before the match, so
I hope we can still convince him to return to the
national team.”

The former Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid striker has not been called for national duty since September 2015 when he failed to show up for the AFCON qualifiers against Djibouti, over what was believed to be a row over being stripped off the armband, but Tom says there’s no bad blood between them.

“We have a very good relationship, but he knows
also that I, as a national team coach, really want
him to be there, and I hope that he returns to
the national team to help his country to qualify,”

“But I can’t force any player to play – it’s the
choice, always the final choice of the player.” Tom added.

Togo are in group “A” of the road to Gabon 2017 together with Liberia, Tunisia and Djibouti. They top the group with six points from two intial ties.

@bonfaceosano

Bonface Osano

African Football Writer contributing @Soka25east | Commentator; appeared on @MySoccerAfrica, @KweseSports, @ntvkenya, others | Keen follower of African Football. E-mail: bonfaceosano@gmail.com