Adebayor back with a bang as Togo shock Cameroon

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — Emmanuel Adebayor shook off a six-week injury absence to score the winner as Togo shocked Cameroon 1-0 Saturday at the start of the final 2010 World Cup-African Nations Cup qualifying phase.

A doubtful starter after injuring his hamstring against Tottenham Hotspur last month, the Arsenal striker kept his promise to play for his country and struck just 11 minutes into the first half.

Victory was particularly sweet for Togo as they are 22 places below five-time World Cup qualifiers Cameroon on the FIFA African rankings and had to stage a home fixture in neutral Accra.

But the 45,000-seat Ohene Dyan Stadium in the Ghana capital is a happy hunting ground for Adebayor who scored four goals against Swaziland there in the previous round.

Togo were forced to move the Group A fixture because of a FIFA ban on playing in Lome after Mali players and supporters were attacked there after winning a 2008 Nations Cup qualifier.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year Adebayor predicted Togolese team spirit would conquer Cameroon, a team with more big names like Idriss Kameni, Rigobert Song and Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, and greater experience.

There were no goals for Eto'o and Kameni and long-serving Song could not prevent Adebayor proving once more that he is among the deadliest African football predators.

Adebayor played a pivotal role in the shock qualification of the Togolese 'Sparrowhawks' for the 2006 World Cup with his steady stream of goals and this win will convince the west African minnows they can reach South Africa too.

The other match in the group did not go according to form either with Gabon scoring twice in the first half and surviving a late scare to shock Morocco 2-1 in Casablanca.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the France-based son of former national captain Pierre Aubame, and Roguy Meye scored for the Panthers and Mounir al-Hamdaoui pulled one goal back six minutes from full-time.