Tottenham Hotspur forward Emmanuel Adebayor has insisted that his decision to miss the Africa Cup of Nations is not due to a financial dispute.
The Togo international, 28, has been omitted from his country's squad for their warm-up game against Oman, with several reports claiming that unpaid bonuses are the reason for his absence.
However, Adebayor denies that he is holding out for more money and says that he decided against playing because he is still haunted by the gun attack that took place on the Togo bus before the 2010 tournament in Angola.
He told The Sun: "I am hearing people saying I do not want to go to the African Nations Cup because of unpaid bonuses. I do not need a bonus from Togo - it is £1,000 per game.
"I would not refuse to play for my country over money. It is all about the organisation - or lack of it. I was on the bus in Angola when people died in front of me. I held them as they died.
"Even the government do not want to pay for the treatment for the people who survived. It is not right."
Adebayor has been capped 54 times at senior international level, scoring 26 goals.
Robert Summerscales
