Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese former professional footballer who represented the Togo national football team as a striker from 2000 to 2019. A five-time Togolese Footballer of the Year, Adebayor scored 32 international goals in 87 FIFA-recognised appearances, making him the country's all-time top-scorer; he surpassed Kossi Noutsoudje's record of 13 goals on 7 February 2007 against Cameroon. He made his international debut against Zambia on 8 July 2000 in a FIFA World Cup qualification match; he scored his first goal for Togo over two years later against Mauritania in Lomé, Togo.
Adebayor's only international hat-trick came in a 6−0 FIFA World Cup qualification win against Swaziland (Eswatini since 2018) on 11 October 2008; he scored four goals in the match. Adebayor helped Togo qualify for their first FIFA World Cup, the 2006 edition in Germany. He started all three group matches against South Korea, Switzerland and France, but did not score any goals and Togo ended up finishing last in their group. Adebayor scored one goal in the Africa Cup of Nations, seven in Africa Cup of Nations qualification and six in FIFA World Cup qualification. The remainder of his goals, five, have come in friendlies. His most productive calendar year in terms of international goals was 2005, when he scored five goals in ten games for "The Sparrowhawks".
Adebayor scored in his final game for Togo against Benin in March 2019; he later finished his football career aged 39 in 2023. His 22-year long career helped to cement himself as a Togolese legend, as he has been recognised as one of the greatest African footballers of his generation.
Goals
Scores and results list Togo's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Adebayor goal.
Adebayor's only international hat-trick for Togo came against Swaziland in October 2008, where he scored four goals in the 6−0 win.Adebayor won the African Footballer of the Year award in 2008. As of the 2022 edition, he is the only Togolese player to win the award.
^ Appearances in Africa Cup of Nations qualification
^Two appearances and one goal in Africa Cup of Nations qualification, one appearance in Africa Cup of Nations
^Three appearances in Africa Cup of Nations qualification, two appearances in FIFA World Cup qualification
^ Appearances in FIFA World Cup qualification
^Two appearances in Africa Cup of Nations, three appearances in FIFA World Cup, one appearance in Africa Cup of Nations qualification
^Does not include the match against Burkina Faso on 14 August 2012. The match is not considered a full A-international match by FIFA, but is by the Togolese Football Federation. He did not score in the match.
