YAYA TOURE CRITICISES CAF'S DECISION AFTER LOSING 2015 AFRICAN FOOTBALLER AWARD TO AUBMEYANG

YAYA TOURE

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has criticised the Confederation of African Football’s decision to name Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the 2015 African Football of the Year.

Toure who hitherto won the award four times in succession prior to his dethronement by the Borussia Dortmund striker, described  the decision to name Aubameyang winner as a “shame to Africa,”


I’m very, very disappointed. It’s sad to see Africa react this way, that they don’t think African achievements are important.

I think this is what brings shame to Africa, because to act in that way is indecent. But what can we do about it? Us Africans, we don’t show that Africa is important in our eyes. We favour more what’s abroad than our own continent. That is pathetic.

I’ll give an example. Messi won all the trophies, but it’s Cristiano Ronaldo who won the award [Ballon d’Or 2014]. What would you say? It’s unfair! Even FIFA, with all its history of corruption, wouldn’t do [what CAF judges did], he told RFI’s Felix Sohounde Peperipe.

The playmaker’s fury is believed to be based on the fact he didn’t win despite playing almost every minute of the Ivory Coast’s triumphant 2015 Africa Cup of Nations campaign. That included all 120 minutes in the penalty-shootout victory over Ghana in the final.

Yaya Toure went on to congratulate Gabon international Aubameyang on his success, he suggested this won’t be the end of the discussion.

Meanwhile the official CAF Twitter account hailed Aubameyang’s record of five international goals in 2015. Ivorian talisman Toure has netted just three goals for his national team in the last two-and-a-half years.

COURTESY: NIGERIAN PILOT