Clubless Emmanuel Adebayor to captain Togo at African Nations Cup

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor will captain Togo at the African Nations Cup despite being without a club since leaving Premier League side Crystal Palace last May, the country's football federation said on Thursday.

Adebayor and veteran goalkeeper Kossi Agassa are currently free agents yet both were included in the 23-man squad for the tournament starting later this month in Gabon.

Agassa, 38, left French club Stade Reims last season while Adebayor has only played for Togo in the last eight months, although he has been linked with a possible move to French Ligue 1 side Montpellier once the tournament concludes.

Togo will compete in Group C at the finals, which runs from January 14 to February 5, alongside holders Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco.

• Mosimane set to be named African coach of the year in Nigeria on Thursday nightPitso Mosimane looks likely to bring a year of unprecedented success to a fitting close if he is named Coach of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Nigeria on Thursday night. 

Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Kossi Agassa (unattached), Cedric Mensah (Le Mans), Baba Tchagouni (FC Marmande)

Defenders:

Serge Akakpo (Trabzonspor), Vincent Bossou (Young Africans), Djene Dakonam (St Truiden), Maklibe Kouloun (Dyto Lome), Abdoul Gafar Mamah (Dacia Chisinau), Sadat Ouro-Akoriko (Al Khaleej), Hakim Ouro-Sama (AS Port Too)

Midfielders:

• Sundowns delegation off to the Caf awards and could feature among the winnersPitso Mosimane‚ Khama Billiat and Denis Onyango will all be heading to Nigeria on Wednesday for Thursday’s Confederation of African Football awards in Abuja where Mamelodi Sundowns are expected to feature among the winners after a brilliant 2016. 

Lalawele Atakora (Helsingborg), Franco Atchou (Dyto Lome), Floyd Ayite (Fulham), Razak Boukari (Chateauroux), Mathieu Dossevi (Standard Liege), Henritse Eninful (Doxa Katakopias), Alaixys Romao (Olympiakos), Prince Segbefia (Goztepe)

Forwards:

Emmanuel Adebayor (unattached), Komlan Agbegniadan (Wafa), Ihlas Bebou (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Serge Gakpe (Genoa), Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba (Renissance Berkane).