The 32-year-old, who captained Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations success last year, was second behind Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. This is what he said after failing to win the confederation of the African player of the year award
“I think that’s what makes the shame of Africa,”. To behave in this way is indecent! But what can we do?”
In a vote of coaches and technical directors of Caf nations, Borussia Dortmund forward Aubameyang got 143 points, with Toure on 136 and Ghana and Swansea midfielder Andre Ayew on 112. Toure, BBC African footballer of the year for 2015, had won the Caf award in each of the previous four years.Aubameyang, 26, is the first player from Gabon to win the award.He has scored 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season and 68 goals in 119 games since joining Dortmund from French side St-Etienne in 2013.However, Gabon were eliminated at the group stage of last year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Pellegrini defends Yaya Toure
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended Yaya Toure and believes the under-fire midfielder is unfairly criticised. Pellegrini believes criticism of the 32-year-old is sometimes unfair, but acknowledged the midfielder’s relaxed body language did him no favours.
“Maybe it’s more the image, the body language,I said also last week that you review the numbers of Yaya after each game and he runs as much as every midfielder.”
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