Arsenal star Emmanuel Adebayor ended a one-month national team boycott by scoring four goals as Togo sank Swaziland 6-0 on Saturday in a 2010 World Cup-Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The striker told London newspapers he would shun the key Group 11 clash in neutral Accra to protest the poor organization of a team that defied the odds by reaching the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
But Swazi hopes of not having to contend with him were dashed as he had a last-minute change of heart. He struck once before halftime and three times in the second half. Salifou Moustapha and Olufade Akekami also scored for the Sparrowhawks.
PHOTO: AFP
The result confirmed Zambia as winners of a mini-league reduced to three nations when Eritrea withdrew before it kicked off, but six-point Togo are likely to make the final round as one of the best eight runners-up.
While the Togolese seem set to survive, 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists Senegal are definitely out after visiting Gambia snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw in a Group 6 thriller.
Kader Mangane gave the Teranga Lions a 75th-minute lead, only for Tijan Jaiteh to equalize four minutes from full time and keep Gambia in second place, one point behind group winners Algeria.
Algeria forced a 0-0 draw in Liberia to finish with 10 points, while Gambia (plus three) edged Senegal (plus two) on goal difference after both garnered nine. However, the Gambian Scorpions take only five points into the runners-up ‘lottery’ as results against the bottom team do not count and are not guaranteed to go through.
Ghana outclassed Lesotho 3-0 in Sekondi thanks to goals from Sulley Muntari, Junior Agogo and Matthew Amoah to top Group 5 on goal difference from Gabon and Libya, after the trio finished with 12 points each.
But the Black Stars’ joy was diluted by a crowd stampede when supporters forced open the main gate to the 20,000-seat stadium that was already greatly overcrowded. A stadium official claimed about 15 people had been injured.
Gabon finished runners-up after Burno Mbanangoye scored seven minutes from full time to defeat Libya 1-0 in Libreville.
There was an inevitable conclusion to Group 7, with Boubacar Sanogo scoring twice and Salomon Kalou once as Ivory Coast outclassed Madagascar 3-0 in Abidjan to finish on top.
But Mozambique were surprise runners-up with an early goal from Eugenio “Genito” Bila giving the Mambas a 1-0 win in Botswana.
Nigeria finished with the only 100 percent record, brushing aside Sierra Leone 4-1 in Abuja courtesy of goals from Christian Obodo, Obinna Nsofor, Osze Odemwingie and Chidi Odiah. That allowed South Africa to finish second with a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea courtesy of Siphiwe Tshabalala.
Saturday’s other results:
• Sudan 2, Congo 0
• Morocco 4, Mauritania 1
• Mali 2, Chad 1
• Tunisia 5, Seychelles 0
• Tanzania 3, Cape Verde Islands 1
• Namibia 4, Zimbabwe 2
• Cameroon 5, Mauritius 0
• Malawi 2, DR Congo 1
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