Next up in our alphabetical world tour is Togo. According to the Premier League, four Togolese players have appeared in the Premier League, from 2004 to as recently as 2019. One player is by far the best known, but he wasn’t the first…
First Player – Yoann Folly (Southampton; 2003-05)
Saints signed Yoann Folly in the summer of 2003, but he would have to wait until March to make his Premier League debut, becoming the first Togolese Premier League player when he featured from the start in a 1-0 victory over Spurs.
He made eight further league appearances in 2003/04 and just three in 2004/05 as he struggled to establish himself in the side and Southampton suffered relegation to the Championship.
Folly spent further seasons in English and Scottish football before retiring in 2012, after being diagnosed with Chronic Pulmonary Embolism.
Records
- Most appearances – Emmanuel Adebayor (29)
- First appearance – Yoan Folly (SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 Spurs, March 27th 2004)
- Most goals – Emmanuel Adebayor (97)
- First goal – Emmanuel Adebayor (Birmingham 0-2 ARSENAL, February 4th 2006)
Other Players
The second player to represent Togo in the Premier League was Emmanuel Adebayor. Beginning his English top-flight career with Arsenal, he spent spells at Manchester City, Spurs and Crystal Palace. An abrasive striker, Adebayor is remembered as much for his comical apathy towards Arsenal fans as he is for his brilliance on the pitch.
The third Togolese Premier League player was Moustapha Salifou, who made four appearances for Aston Villa in 2007/08. Floyd Ayité made 11 league outings for Fulham in 2018/19 and is the most recent player to represent Togo in the Premier League.
Trivia
- Togo are one of 32 CAF nations to have been represented in the Premier League.
- Two of the four players to represent Togo in the Premier League were born in France (Yoann Folly and Floyd Ayité).
- Emmanuel Adebayor is the 30th top scorer in the history of the Premier League (97 goals).
