Adebayor Slams Mbombela Stadium

Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor echoed Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama and Zambia’s Christopher Katongo views about the terrible playing surface at the Mbombela Stadium.

Togo drew 1-1 with Tunisia in their final group stage match of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday at the worn-out field of the 2010 FIFA World Cup venue.

Adebayor did not hold back, saying that he was embarrassed to be seen on a turf of such poor quality, with sand apparently used to cover parts of the turf where rain caused damage.

“Once again we are in Africa – AFCON is a big tournament for Africa -the whole world is watching this. You can’t play on a pitch like this,” the Sparrow Hawks skipper said.

“The stadium is one of the best I have played in, but to be honest with you, I’m very sorry, but it’s a disgrace for our continent to be playing on this pitch when it’s on the TV around the world.

“CAF have to sort things out, to solve the problem. At the end of the day we are all Africans and we have to be honest with ourselves – it’s a beautiful stadium but the pitch is not happening.

“Those people that watch the game in Europe, they will be sending SMS to me tonight asking me, ‘are you playing in the bush or what?

“It’s a disgrace to our continent, we can do better. I think CAF should have come one month before to get the pitch in a better condition, but at the end of the day we are here and we have to find a way to play.”