FORMER French international and European championship winner Didier Six has been getting a good night's rest since Emmanuel Adebayor reversed his decision not to join Togo at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Not that the west Africans' success at this year's tournament depends on the Tottenham Hotspur forward, but he is a key part of it. Six admitted as much following the Afcon draw in Durban in October when he said that during a series of friendly matches last year, Togo were learning to play without Adebayor.
The Frenchman enters unfamiliar territory this month in a tournament The Hawks last played in seven years ago.
Six was handed the job in November 2011.
His debut at the Afcon will be a challenge that the 58-year-old can only relish. Thrown into the "group of death" alongside favourites and former winners Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Algeria, the odds are stacked heavily against Togo. And Six is expected to at least prove that qualification for the tournament was not a fluke. So far, he has proved to have been a better player - winning 52 caps for France and scoring 13 times - than he is a coach. Togo is his second coaching job. His big break came at French side RC Strasbourg in 1986.
The Togo FA first gave him a trial run in the 2014 World Cup qualification matches against Guinea Bissau, which Togo won won 2-1 on aggregate over two legs . This was only a few weeks after the domestic league had returned after nearly two years of interruption.
The football federation was then thrown into a dispute with players over bonuses, one of the many reasons Adebayor was not keen on joining his teammates for the Cup of Nations. But Six has emerged stronger and was able to convince Adebayor that he is needed.
Why Six is in 7th heaven
FORMER French international and European championship winner Didier Six has been getting a good night's rest since Emmanuel Adebayor reversed his decision not to join Togo at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Not that the west Africans' success at this year's tournament depends on the Tottenham Hotspur forward, but he is a key part of it. Six admitted as much following the Afcon draw in Durban in October when he said that during a series of friendly matches last year, Togo were learning to play without Adebayor.
The Frenchman enters unfamiliar territory this month in a tournament The Hawks last played in seven years ago.
Six was handed the job in November 2011.
His debut at the Afcon will be a challenge that the 58-year-old can only relish. Thrown into the "group of death" alongside favourites and former winners Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Algeria, the odds are stacked heavily against Togo. And Six is expected to at least prove that qualification for the tournament was not a fluke. So far, he has proved to have been a better player - winning 52 caps for France and scoring 13 times - than he is a coach. Togo is his second coaching job. His big break came at French side RC Strasbourg in 1986.
The Togo FA first gave him a trial run in the 2014 World Cup qualification matches against Guinea Bissau, which Togo won won 2-1 on aggregate over two legs . This was only a few weeks after the domestic league had returned after nearly two years of interruption.
The football federation was then thrown into a dispute with players over bonuses, one of the many reasons Adebayor was not keen on joining his teammates for the Cup of Nations. But Six has emerged stronger and was able to convince Adebayor that he is needed.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos