Emmanuel Adebayor will play in the African Nations Cup after being persuaded to go back on his decision to boycott the tournament by Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe in meetings over the last two days, a government spokesman said yesterday.

“Adebayor was received yesterday in Accra by the head of state,” Cleo Petchezi, director of communications for the presidency, told Reuters.

“Discussions continued this morning in Lome. Following them Adebayor has said he will return to his club and join the national team in a week.”

The Tottenham striker had previously said he was boycotting the tournament in South Africa, which starts on Jan. 19, because of a row over bonuses for the players.

The developments open the likelihood that Adebayor will play for his club in the Premier League away against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday before joining his team-mates one week ahead of the tournament kick off.

Adebayor, who has now made three returns after self-imposed ‘retirements’ from the national side, has missed Togo’s pre-tournament preparations, including international warm-up games in Oman and Niger over the last 10 days.

The 28-year-old is at the centre of yet another row over bonus payments to the squad following their qualification to the finals.

The Togolese side has been in constant turmoil over money with Adebayor using his status in the small west African country to force the issue.

Yesterday, Togo press reports said coach Didier Six was also seeking to be paid outstanding wages and had not joined up with the team, who are preparing for the tournament in neighbouring Ghana.

The absence of the French-born coach from the team training camp in Accra was confirmed by Herve Agbodan, communications officer of the Togolese Football Federation (TFF), but he said Six would return to work today.

Agbodan told Reuters yesterday the dispute over money was not being handled by the TFF but instead by the government.

Togo’s opening game at the Nations Cup is in Rustenburg against the tournament favour-ites Ivory Coast on Tuesday, January 22.

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