Emmanuel Adebayor's attempt to return to his family in Togo during the coronavirus crisis has been thwarted after the striker was held in quarantine during a stop-over in Benin.
Adebayor, the former Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Crystal Palace forward, signed for Paraguayan club Olimpia last month.
The 36-year-old decided to fly back to his homeland after the South American country was put into a partial lockdown in a bid to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
But his journey required him to travel via the small West African nation of Benin – and he was immediately told he would have to go into isolation on his arrival.
Adebayor has now been put in a hotel in the port city of Cotonou – and must stay there for at least 15 days.
He insisted: “It is like being at home – it doesn't bother me at all.”
Adebayor, who is a national hero in Togo, had been advised by his club to stay in Paraguay during the health crisis.
He was a surprise signing for Olimpia in February after spending three years with Turkish club Kayserispor.
An Olimpia spokesman said: “We informed him of the risks that travelling would entail, but he took a decision to be with his family.”
He flew from Asuncion to Paris before catching another connection to Benin.
But customs officials then prevented him catching a final 35-minute flight to Lome, just 150 miles away.
Adebayor has put his future with Olimpia in doubt.
He failed to score in his four games for the club and was serving a suspension after being sent off for flattening an opponent with a wild kung-fu kick.
Adebayor scored 46 Premier League goals in 104 games for Arsenal between 2006 and 2009, when he joined Manchester City before playing for Real Madrid, Tottenham and Palace.
