A public row between Togo's prolific striker Emmanuel Adebayor and his Coach Stephen Keshi is threatening to derail the Sparrowhawks' 2006 African Cup of Nations (CAN) campaign, according to press reports here.

The Togolese, who lost 2-0 to RD Congo on Saturday, are also 2006 World Cup qualifiers, but their trip to Egypt was marred from the start as the players refused to leave their home country after their demands to be paid $40,000 each were not met.

The latest troubled relations between Keshi and Adebayor has seen the latter threatening to return home, following his reported refusal to play in the starting line-up, a move that might have resulted in Togo's defeat in their opening Group B match in Cairo.

Adebayor claimed Keshi, whom he accused of trying to pressure him into becoming his agent, had dropped him from Togo side on the morning of the
match.

"I told him no, I don't work that way. Then later (in the day) he said he wanted me to play but I refused. I am going home. I want to see my mother in Lome who is ill," the striker told the press.

Keshi retorted by screaming at reporters who approached him for comment. The remarks were heard in international radio and television.

"Don't believe him. He thinks he's superstar. He is trying to finish me," said Keshi.

Earlier the coach explained: "This morning I decided not to play him. He wasn't happy. I then changed my mind and told him he was going to start but he said he wouldn't play."

Keshi added: "The problem was that he wasn't in training. I took a decision and he didn't like it and he decided to stay on the bench. He didn't want to start."

Togo's Austrian-based defender Eric Akoto said he was among five players who had earlier pleaded with Adebayor to play.

"We all went to talk to him. He's the best player we've got. We desperately needed him to play. He is a player who creates a lot of chances. Then later he said he would only play in the second half.

"I know the reasons why he didn't want to play but that is up to the coach to say it. But we missed him. We had one great chance in the first half that he would have scored," Akoto said.

During the campaign leading to the 2006 CAN and World Cup, Adebayor scored 11 goals, the most by any African player, followed by Ivorian Didier Drogba's nine goals and eight goals from Nigeria's Obafemi Martins.

Togo, in Group B along side DR Congo and Angola, face Cameroon on Tuesday.