Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré has vented his displeasure at finishing second to Borussia Dortmund of Germany’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Africa’s football player of the year. He’s lashed out at the entire continent.
This much is for sure: Yaya Touré is not a man who minces words. Shortly after coming in second in the vote for Africa’s Football Player of 2015, the Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfielder vented his spleen in an interview with Radio France International.
“It’s sad to see Africa react in this way – it does not give importance to African things,” the 32-year-old said. “This is what makes the shame of Africa. To behave in this way is indecent, but what can we do? We don’t show that Africa is important in our eyes. We give more priority to what is happening elsewhere than to our own continent. This is what is pathetic.”
Touré, who captained Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations title last year, also implied that not all was above board in the award going to Gabonese forward Aubameyang.
“Even FIFA with all of its history of corruption would not do this,” he said, continuing on to speak about himself in the third person and criticize his home continent. “Yaya will look after himself and let Africa look after itself. Like I’m often told, you shouldn’t worry too much about Africa because Africa will be the first to let you down.”
The player who came in third in the vote, Swansea and Ghana forward André Ayew, who was the leading scorer at the Cup of Nations, supported Touré’s position.
“We must respect the competitions – if we Africans do not, who will?” Ayew told the website lequipe.fr. “Frankly, it was Yaya or me this year.”
Gabonese football fans predictably disagreed, giving Aubameyang a rapturous reception in the Gabonese capital Libreville on Friday.
“He has risen through the ranks and this is a just reward,” said Brice Ignegue – the president of the Gabonese national team’s fan club – told AFP news agency.
Gabon president Ali Bongo Ondimba also awarded Aubameyang with one of the country’s leading civil honors, Commander of the National Order of Merit.
OPINION: Yaya has gone gaga!
Yaya Touré has gone ballistic about playing second fiddle to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. In an open letter to the midfielder, DW’s Jefferson Chase advises him to chill out.
Dear Mr. Touré,
I must admit I cracked a smile when I read of your tirade about not winning the 2015 African Football Player of the Year award. In this age of sanitized player interviews, it’s kind of refreshing when someone’s not afraid to open his mouth and yell – as in the film, Network – that he’s mad as hell and not going to take it.
Unfortunately, winning an award or not isn’t something for a grown person to get mad about. Not mad enough anyway to portray the situation as “indecent,” “pathetic” and bringing “shame” on an entire continent. Those words made me laugh – at but not with you. The way one laughs at a child throwing a temper tantrum about something he’s blown way, way out of proportion.
There are many things that one could argue bring shame on Africa. Poverty, political corruption, ethnic and gender violence, and AIDS are just a handful that spring to my mind as an outside observer. Who gets named the continent’s best footballer isn’t anywhere near my list.
It’s no fun feeling as though you’ve been passed over for a lesser rival. Most of us have had to experience this at some point in our lives, and no one likes it. But as a footballer, you know yourself that there’s no legitimate way to compare players at different positions. Put forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on as a midfield string-puller, and he might not be very good. The same would apply to you spearheading the attack up-front.
Best player awards are per se apples and oranges stuff.
It’s simply laughable to argue, as you did, that the choice of Aubameyang as the continent’s top footballer is symptomatic of some African self-disregard. You won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, a far more significant achievement. You should enjoy that triumph – as well as the general fact that you’re a professional footballer, something millions of young people from your home continent will never get to be.
So Mr. Touré, please, take my advice. Chill out a bit. You’ll be a lot happier man for it.
-DW.COM
