Former international football legend, Emmanuel Adebayor is no stranger to applause, but at the Africa Gaming Expo (AGE Lagos 2025), the cheers weren’t for goals scored on the pitch, they were for his transformative journey beyond the game. Speaking to iGaming AFRIKA in an exclusive interview, Emmanuel offered a roadmap for life after sports, a vision for infrastructure development, and valuable financial advice for the next generation of athletes.
AGE Lagos 2025 was a defining moment for Emmanuel Adebayor as he received the Gaming Influencer Award of the Year, personally presented by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State. The honor recognized his growing influence in the digital gaming and betting space, an industry he joined just three years ago. “And for me, as I said, this gambling thing, I became ambassador two/three years ago. Three years later, me being named as the Best Influencer of the Year, it’s beautiful. I’m really, really happy, and I’m honored,” Adebayor said.
While football opened doors for Adebayor, he’s now focused on what can be built behind them. One of his strongest messages was the urgent need for infrastructure development to support African youth and athletes. He called on private companies to collaborate with governments and “see the bigger picture” when it comes to nurturing African sports ecosystems. “It would be very bad for them to just take money and go,” he said, addressing the role of sports betting companies profiting across the continent.
“So I’m betting all these betting companies to find a way with the government in each respectful country to see how they can come together and help develop the infrastructure. We’re talking about football academy, football pitch, health center, it is all part of the infrastructure. So I think those are the problems we have to tackle now. So we can make the sports company better.”
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Retirement from professional football can be a crisis for many athletes, but Adebayor has turned it into an opportunity. From real estate to digital engagement, he now runs multiple ventures supported by a team of over 100 people across media, business, and charity operations. He sees gaming not as a departure from sports, but as an extension, one where engagement, digital media, and influence creates new pathways for both fans and professionals.
Aligning with the theme for this year’s conference, Emmanuel Adebayor shared that he is able to maintain a dynamic, scalable presence in the digital economy through his strategic use of AI and technology. ”So for me, I think artificial intelligence helps a lot. We use it a lot. Obviously because of all my interviews, we got it together and see in which way AI can help communicate with my fans or with my audience. And that’s what we are doing. And sometimes I can ask artificial intelligence, okay, this is what I want to do. This is how much I have. How can I use it to make it purpose? And obviously they give me an idea and output my ideology into it and we are getting it right. But don’t get it twisted. It’s not easy. It’s a big job.”
Addressing the common downfall of athletes who go broke after retirement, Emmanuel Adebayor spoke with rare honesty. “When I was young, I was buying watches, cars, diamond chains. The money was there, and the head was gone,” he said candidly. “But I learned to divide my salary, one part for fun, one for property, one for saving.” He now owns a real estate business, is involved in multiple ambassadorial roles, and has a foundation that reflects his commitment to giving back. His message to younger athletes remains clear: build while you earn.