Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor did not play a part in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Gambia on Friday after pulling out of the team ahead of the encounter to protest the ‘poor’ state of the pitch at the Municipal Stadium in Togolese capital Lomé where the game was played.
In a letter sent to the local authorities a week ago, Adebayor bitterly complained about the state of the field and called for ‘immediate action’, otherwise he would not play.
Hours to the encounter, nothing was done, which prompted the former Arsenal and Manchester City striker to abandon the Squirrels.
“We received the note from Adebayor but time was too short carry out any thorough work at the facility. We promised to see to it ahead of future games.
“Besides, Caf approved it for the game so there is no big deal,” Eric Tofondé, inspector for works at Togo’s sports ministry told ACLsports in a telephone interview.
Togo and Gambia shared the spoils after a 1-1 draw and will meet again on Tuesday in Bakau, Gambia.
