Beyond the Celebration: Emmanuel Adebayor's story of struggle, success, and service to Africa
Chances are when you Google the name 'Emmanuel Adebayor,' one of the first photos to come up is his unforgettable goal celebration after scoring for Manchester City against his former club Arsenal in 2009. Beyond the transcendent moments, beyond the frequently applied 'polarizing' label, Adebayor's full story, shared with NBC Sports as part of the 'By Way of Africa' series, paints a more complex picture — one that speaks to the challenges and triumphs that shaped him.
Born and raised in Togo to Nigerian parents, Adebayor overcame poverty to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur. He is widely regarded as an African football legend.
Amidst his numerous achievements, Adebayor — Togo's all-time leading scorer — has never lost sight of where he comes from. Since the start of his career, his passion for Africa and giving back have been at the core of everything he does.
In the conversation below, Adebayor — now retired from professional football — reflects on the difficulties of his childhood and why he felt he was misunderstood. He also revisits some of the most defining moments of his career and opens up about the regrets he carries, the immense joy he feels in representing Togo, his passion for creating opportunities for Africa's next generation, and the impact being made through his foundation.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you describe what your childhood was like growing up in Togo? What struggles did you face?
Emmanuel Adebayor: There were a lot of struggles. I could talk about it all day. For my parents, paying my school fees was a challenge — it was hard. That's why I dropped out of school very early. I was living in a house without a roof — we had a roof, but there were holes everywhere. When it was raining, it was like living in a house without a roof. You'd have to find a bucket to take the water out.
I was also living in a house without a proper toilet... I had to walk between 5 to 7 kilometers (approximately 3 to 4 miles) to go to school. If I have to put everything together, it's a long story.
Thank you for sharing that. When did you first have the dream of becoming a professional footballer and when did you realize that could be your ticket out of those struggles?
Adebayor: To be honest, up to today, I've never decided to be a professional footballer. I loved the game so much and was passionate about the game. If you're Nigerian, you know — it's what we did all day long, especially as a kid who wasn't going to school anymore. All I did was play football.
Even when I moved to France, my big brother came to meet me and asked 'Are you going to make it?' I just said, 'I don't know, let me just play and see.'
For me, I've never put in my head that I had to be [anything]; I was just enjoying life. With most things in life, when you enjoy it and put happiness into it, the outcome is always beautiful — so that was my outcome.
I love that! Football in Africa is such a passion, as you mentioned. Who are some of the African players that you loved watching growing up?
Adebayor: When I was growing up, I was 'Baby Kanu'. Nwankwo Kanu from Nigeria was my idol — up to today, he's still my idol. He's the only one that can tell me to go to sleep at night, and I would be in my room at night. Apart from him, no one else could do that.
The love I've got for Nwankwo Kanu is big. He inspired me to be a footballer. I remember it like it happened yesterday. I must have been 12 or 13 when [Nigeria] played in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. When he scored two goals against Brazil, I was in Togo.
Since that day, he became my idol. We looked alike, had the same [body type]. He's my idol. I love him to death.
Emmanuel's Instagram
Well, you eventually reached the top of professional football in your own journey. I want to play a game with you and go down memory lane. I'm going to name a team, and I want you to give me one word to describe your experience with that team and why, starting with...
Arsenal.
Adebayor: Beautiful. When I came to the club, everything that I was expecting was there. The infrastructure was great, the restaurant was great, the gym was beautiful, and everything around the team was in our favor to progress.
Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates scoring the opening goal (Photo by Simon Dawson - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
PA Images via Getty Images
How about Manchester City?
Adebayor: I would say nice. When I went to Man City, it was not the Manchester City of today. I went there in 2009, and since then, they have a new training ground and the stadium has changed a little bit. They have made a lot of progress with big, big players. They have a different project, so that's why I would say nice. I can't say beautiful or magical because when I was there, they were trying to build, which I'm very happy about because we started that project.
Emmanuel Adebayor, Manchester City (Photo by Nigel French - PA Images via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur.
Adebayor: Crazy! Tottenham Hotspur is considered one of the biggest clubs in London, but when I moved to the training ground, I was like 'Oh, God, where am I?!'
My gym in my own house was bigger than the gym they had at the club at the time. That was the old training facility. The smell was bad, the training ground was bad, but now they have one of the best facilities in the world.
But then, it was proper crazy! There were no machines in the gym. If you wanted to do pull-ups or whatever, they said somebody took the machine home. It was a crazy club then, but I had a great three and half years with the club.
Tottenham Hotspur's Emmanuel Adebayor and Manchester United's Daley Blind battle for the ball
Real Madrid.
Adebayor: Magical! When you get to Madrid, you know you're big! You're making a lot of money, you have a huge image, you are role model for a lot of people. But Madrid is one of the few clubs in the world that will humble you — like, my friend, this is Madrid.
When they took me in the room, it was incredible! It was not about the trophies, but the whole setup of the room is just incredible!
The facility is amazing, and on top of everything, the best part of Madrid is they give you everything! The only thing you have to [do] is to be able to perform on the pitch.
Even at 3 AM, if you want food, they will call somebody and bring you food. If you want a babysitter at 2 AM, you call them, and you have a babysitter.
Madrid is a different level. I have been to big clubs — Man City, Monaco, Arsenal — but Madrid is top notch, ahead of everyone.
MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 02: Emmanuel Adebayor of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring Real's second goal during the Copa del Rey Semi Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 2, 2011 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Real Madrid via Getty Images
How about Crystal Palace?
Adebayor: It's a beautiful club — inside and out— but Crystal Palace is one of the smallest clubs that I had a chance to play for in England. If you asked me to describe my experience, I would say neutral. It's like a family club. Everyone knew everyone. I wouldn't say it was beautiful, magical, or perfect; it was just neutral for me.
Swansea City's Ashley Williams, right, and Crystal Palace's Emmanuel Adebayor vie for the ball, during the English Premier League soccer match between Swansea and Crystal Palace, at the Liberty Stadium, in Swansea, Wales, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. (Simon Galloway/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE
AP
During your time in the Premier League, you were often labeled as a controversial player. You've even said that you felt like you had a bad reputation in England. Do you feel like you were misunderstood? And if so, why?
Adebayor: I don't know. I'm a young man who's been enjoying life since I was born, up to now. Even while I was going through the struggle — with no toilet in my house, no roof on top of my head, and no electricity in my house — I was still happy.
The good thing about me is that if you go to every single club that I played for — I won't say the players, even though you can also include them — every single person who worked for the clubs I played for, will tell you how amazing I am and what a beautiful soul I have.
Those who say 'he's a controversial guy,' are the people who [only] watch me on TV. So for me, those people who criticize me don't matter. I can guarantee you that every single person that I worked with loved me to death because of my personality. Those that didn't know me criticized me, which is normal.
Why do you feel like you weren't respected?
Adebayor: I don't know. They thought I was just here for the money. A lot of people would say, 'He doesn't care, he plays football, he has one good game and another bad game.'
But remember, we are not all the same. We're human beings. Today can be good, tomorrow can be bad — it's part of life. Even [Cristiano] Ronaldo went through difficult moments. [Lionel] Messi went through difficult moments. Wayne Rooney went through difficult moments.
When it came to people like us, they were like, 'Oh he's not serious. He came only for the money.' But at the end of the day, we are all being paid to play football. I'm a flashy guy. If I buy a car, people complain. If I buy a chain, people complain. But I let them complain, and I'm still enjoying my life.
I'm sorry you experienced that. I know you've spoken a lot about this in the past, but I want to talk about that knee-sliding celebration. I've heard you say that, in the moment, you felt liberated. Can you talk about exactly what you felt liberated from?
Adebayor: In my head, I was kind of free, because I was going through — not a difficult moment — but a misunderstanding, as you mentioned, with Arsenal fans... they were singing.
If abuse comes towards me, I can [take it]. You can say 'You're not a good footballer,' or 'You're not a good goal scorer,' and that's fine. I can take that. But when you attack my parents, I'm sorry, but I will give it back.
That's what I did, and for me, there is no regret. I am very happy to represent my continent and my country. I am very, very, very happy today to have given those people, who were calling me names and insulting my parents, something to think about. Whenever they see that goal, if you were one of the people involved in singing those songs, you know you're part of it. So I felt free from that day.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - September 12: Emmanuel Adebayor of Manchester City celebrates during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at City Of Manchester Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stewart Kendall/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Getty Images
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Emmanuel Adebayor of Manchester City celebrates in front of the Arsenal fans after scoring during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the City of Manchester Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Manchester, England. (Photo by)
Thank you for sharing that. Did you feel like that feeling of freedom stayed with you as you continued your career?
Adebayor: Yeah, from that moment on I just told myself to keep enjoying myself and play football. I reminded myself that I have done well for myself. I made a name for myself. Worldwide people know me. I was using my name to [help] my continent.
Today, I have my foundation that's helping a lot of youth. The [best] part about being a footballer is being able to help people, so that's what I'm doing personally. If God called me today, I'd be more than happy because I have done a lot already. I have touched a lot of lives in my [short] time on earth.
Earlier on, you talked about how people perceived you as someone who just wanted money; however, you had a lot of financial burdens and pressures. Can you talk about what some of those burdens were?
Adebayor: That's the funny thing. People would [label] me as the guy who came here to make money but whenever I made money, it was going to [Africa].
I had a fight with my former Arsenal teammate, William Gallas, because I took all the footballer's boots to send to Africa. Remember, I was sponsored by Adidas and could get [any] amount of shoes that I wanted from Adidas — my contract was big then. But I still took bags of shoes to give to those who needed them in Africa.
My whole vision is to give back to Africa. My foundation is [involved] in entrepreneurship, health, education, and agriculture. I'm [developing] people in Africa.
The one thing that we have is land. The land is there, plenty — as we say in Nigeria. So I have to find a way to [help] my brothers and sisters to go towards that. Not everybody will be a footballer, not everybody will be a singer. People have to farm so we can eat, so that's what I'm doing now.
I've partnered with the American Embassy, UNDP [the United Nations Development Program], and the French Embassy. I'm about to sign a big deal with Mastercard Africa, so I'm giving back.
We're trying to [create opportunities] for all Africans because it's not only in Togo that people are suffering but across the continent. I'm doing a lot to help the youth and give them something to hang onto.
That's incredible! You are regarded as one of the greatest African footballers. You got to represent Togo at its first World Cup, and you've won African Footballer of the Year. Can you talk about how much joy representing Togo has brought you?
Adebayor: Togo is a small country in West Africa, so for me to play in its first — and at the moment, only — World Cup, and being the main actor for qualifying for the World Cup, is just so beautiful. Today, people still talk about it.
COLOGNE, GERMANY - JUNE 23: Emmanuel Adebayor (4) of Togo runs inbetween William Gallas (5) and Claude Makelele (6) of France during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Group G match between Togo and France at the Stadium Cologne on June 23, 2006 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by)
Playing for a club is beautiful, but playing for your country is different. It's a different hope, it's a different thing. You wake up in the morning... you don't know what to do. You're panicking because your father, your brother, and your friends are coming to the stadium. Your dream girl from your childhood is coming to the stadium. All those things give you extra motivation. At the same time, you're [thinking], 'If things go south what am I going to do?'
I'm blessed to have been able to represent the country. I'm happy. I think what I have done for that small country today is going to be written in a book. The first [African Player of the Year] winner in Togo is me. The first BBC Player of the Year from Togo is me. The first to be named in the first 10 or 11 best players in the world is me. The first [Togolese] to play for Arsenal — to play in the English Premier League, is me. The list goes on. I'm very proud to be Togolese, but now I'm praying for my younger brothers to take over so they can also have that passion and enjoy it as much as I do.
Arsenal striker and Togolese skipper Emmanuel Adebayor raise his trophy after being named African footballer of the year at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) award ceremony in Lagos on February 10, 2009. Adebayor, 25 later this month, beat final nominees Mohamed Aboutrika of Egypt and Ghana's Michael Essien in a vote that involved the national team coaches of CAF's 54 member-nations. AFP PHOTO/PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP) (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
What kind of future do you envision for African footballers, both in terms of the opportunities and the overall growth of the sport on the continent?
Adebayor: What we can do is talk to them. I've been telling some some of my colleagues, like Jay-Jay Okocha, Samuel Eto'o, and Didier Drogba — because we are in this legend group together — that we have to motivate the youth and that's what we're doing. We're sharing our experiences with them. Talking to them is the best thing we can do. Giving them shoes or money — how long are we going to be able to do that for? We have new players doing a great job like [Victor] Osimhen, [Ademola] Lookman, Mohamed Salah. It's good for the continent.
Nigeria's forward #9 Victor Osimhen (R) jokes with Former Togolese football player Emmanuel Adebayor at the hotel in Abidjan on January 16, 2024 during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 football tournament. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
I know that all of your accomplishments mean so much to you, but nothing means more to you than being able to give back. You've talked a lot about your initiative, The SEA Foundation. Can you share the joy it's brought you to be able to provide for other people on the continent?
Adebayor: A couple of years back, the most important thing for me was scoring goals on the pitch, but now I realize that helping one human being is way better than scoring a goal. Maybe in 10 years or 20 years, people will still talk about that goal, but when you help one person, you're helping an [entire] generation. In 100 years, people will still be talking about it.
At the beginning of my career, I had someone come to me and say, 'My father told me about the time that he was going through a difficulty and you helped him.'
That boy kept me in mind so that one day if he met me, he would tell me that I helped his father. That kid will tell his son, his son will tell his grandson, and it goes on. So for me, there is no limit with helping. If I have to give everything that I own today, trust me I would do it with pleasure.
I read that when you first wanted to play football, the coach told you that you were too skinny and you went home and cried. Looking back at your remarkable career, if you could go back in time and give that Emmanuel advice, what would you say to him?
Adebayor: I would say to all kids — especially African kids — to keep believing in yourself, no matter your body structure, no matter what you are going through, you can still make it happen.
When the coach told me that, I went home and cried because I couldn't join the team, but the next day I was still on the street playing football.
If you say it's a dream for you, if you say you want to achieve something out of faith, you have to give it a proper go. You have to give everything for it to be possible. You can't be [inconsistent] and think you'll make a living out of it. You have to be focused and be there the whole time.
You've had a remarkable career for over 20 years. Any regrets?
Adebayor: No regrets at all. I'm happy about what I have done and what I have achieved. Coming from where I came from, with the story I told you — if I could sit here and say I have any regrets, that means I'm a selfish guy... but football wise, zero regrets.
Do you feel fulfilled at this point in your life?
Adebayor: Yeah, I think I've done everything there is for a human being to do. I've built a house, I've had a kid, I've helped [others], and I have a foundation. So for me, I think everything is done and whatever I'm doing now is just a bonus. I'm really enjoying it.
Editor's Note: By Way of Africa is a series committed to highlighting the talent and stories from the African continent and its diaspora. African stories are worth telling, and the culture—all of the languages, tribes, and traditions—is worth celebrating. Embedded in these narratives is a profound testament to the diligence, discipline, and work ethic deeply ingrained in African heritage. Whether born on the continent or dispersed across the globe, the contributions of these stories to society resound uniquely, by way of Africa.
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