Brazil 2014: Adebayor backs Eagles at World Cup, writes off Ivory Coast

Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has written off the Ivory Coast’s chances of succeeding at this summer’s World Cup, claiming their chances will be hampered by a lack of “togetherness”.

The African nation boast such stars as Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony but, despite being ranked ahead of all other nations on the continent, last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1992.

And Tottenham star Adebayor believes the Elephants are “the country that will always let you down” because every player “wants to be like a hero.”

“I never trust them,” he told the Daily Express. “They are the country that will always let you down. I know all of them from the bench to the manager. Sabri Lamouchi [their coach] is my very good friend.

“How come for the last four or five years have they not won the African Cup of Nations? They have got the best striker in Europe in Didier Drogba. They have got the best midfielder today, Yaya Toure. You’ve got one of the best strikers in the league today, the one that plays at Swansea, Wilfried Bony. You have all of those players.

“But the thing is, are they going to be collective enough? I don’t know. I am not an Ivorian. They will be talking, laughing and enjoying themselves but when the time comes, they will forget about their job.

“There’s no togetherness. Everyone wants to be the hero. Everybody wants to be the one to finish on a high so the folks remember them for what I have done, not for what we have done as a generation, nor for what we have done as team. Everyone wants to be like a hero and that is what is killing Ivory Coast.”

However, despite his withering assessment of Ivory Coast’s chances, Adebayor has backed Nigeria to go furthest of all the African teams – including Algeria, Cameroon and Ghana – in Brazil.

“Out of these teams, it [my choice for which of the African teams will go the furthest] would be Nigeria because of their concentration,” he added. “Because of Stephen Keshi [the coach] – he knows a lot about football and everything. He has been there as well as a player for Nigeria.

“And they have got Victor Moses, who is a great friend of mine, and I like the way he plays. Jon Obi Mikel played a lot for Chelsea this year and showed how good he is. Their goalkeeper is very good. Nigeria have all the ingredients to be good in the World Cup.”