Adebayor's brother says striker has been brainwashed

Togo football star Emmanuel Adebayor's brother Kola has said that the Tottenham Hotspur striker has been "brainwashed" by Islamic spiritual leaders into believing that their mother used black magic to ruin his form on the field.

"(Emmanuel) has been brainwashed by these Muslim alfas - spiritual men - who prophesise when he scores goals and why he is not playing well," Kola, 42, a truck driver based in Germany, told The Sun Sunday

"They have convinced him his sister and mother put juju curses on him. My mother is very sad. Every day she is crying. I just talked to her on the phone and she was crying again."

The former Arsenal forward, who has scored just two goals this campaign in 12 appearances, had earlier denied accusations from his sister Maggie that he had kicked their mother Alice out of his house in Africa.

Daily Mail quoted the sister as saying that Alice was selling "polythene bags, padlocks and other things" to provide for her family, however, Emmanuel later cleared that his mother had left the house of her own accord.

"I never sacked my mum from the house. She decided to leave the house," Adebayor speaking to Peace FM, a radio station in neighbouring Ghana, said.

"How am I going to be in touch with my mum if my mum is the one telling everyone that my work will not go forward, so I will just be on my side and do my thing.

"They should stop talking, they should stop doing Juju on me, they should leave me alone."

"I bought a $1.2m house in East Legon for the one talking and calling herself my sister. Can you imagine that sister went to rent the house without my knowledge?," he added.