TheCable

Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor is backing the Super Eagles of Nigeria to go furthest of all the African teams – competing in Brazil.

The Tottenham star believes the big-game knowledge and ability of the quartet of Stephen Keshi, Victor Moses, John Mikel Obi, and Vincent Enyeama are the ingredients needed by any team to be successful in a major competition like the World Cup.

“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 told the Daily Express.

“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. John 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.”

Adebayor, though, has written off the Ivory Coast’s chances in Brazil, claiming their progress will be hampered by a lack of “togetherness”.

“I never trust them,” he said.

“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, they 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 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.”