Q&A with Kolo Toure

Following fifteen years with Cote d'Ivoire, Kolo Toure, has finally retired from International football after winning the African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea after his seventh time of asking.

Supersport.com caught up with him to relieve the moments and his thoughts on vindication of the remnants of the golden generation.

supersport.com: Fifteen years with Ivory Coast, if you had to sum it up in one word, what would it be?

Kolo: Fifteen years in one word would be difficult but I would just say great finish

supersport.com: Having being part of the golden generation, how can you best describe playing with one of the best star studded teams in African football?

Kolo: It is an honour for me because you know, I thank God to have been able to play with all those fantastic players and its been some tough games, tough challenges but all my memories is great because I have been to three African Cup of Nations finals and three World Cups, this is amazing and especially having my younger brother beside me is great.

supersport.com: Any lows?

Kolo: Yeah, some few lows, It’s going to be obviously the final against Zambia in 2012, the one against Egypt was tough but it was against two good teams and I think Egypt deserved win but the one in 2012 we were the better side, we didn’t concede any goal, we won every game but at the end we had these crucial penalties and we lost against a fantastic team and a very good manager

supersport.com: You featured in your seventh Afcon, same to Siaka Tiene, Boubacar 'Copa' Barry while Yaya Toure in his sixth, how was it, coming back again with the hope of winning the most elusive trophy?

Kolo: It’s fantastic. We have been very loyal to the country all of us especially Copa Barry and me because at the start of the tournament qualifier we had not been called up to the team.

People were talking about the age and everything and Copa Barry didn’t start, he was substitute and I think we wanted to be part of it because we wanted to be the last try for our generation you know at the end we have done it in a great way.

Copa Barry was great on the day and he deserved it, he is a great guy and humble.

supersport.com: Do you think experience counted or you simply figured the art of winning an Afcon after many attempts?

Kolo: Of course, when you play so many Afcon finals, you learn from all the mistakes you do and tough times as I think when you try something and fail, it’s not a failure, you improve, it’s an experience and definitely it’s going to help us and through that me, Copa and Yaya tried to guide the kids and tell them what to do and what not to do and we were consistently behind them to be able to give them right advise and right attitude and that is what we did as experienced players.

supersport.com: How important was this win to you, your team mates and country?

Kolo: It was amazing. The country deserved it, I mean being in three finals in 10, 15 years, we were all waiting for it and if we lost it would have been really bad and for me we deserved it, the people, the generation deserved it and I am very proud of myself, for my family and country and thank God for giving us this great trophy.

supersport.com: Couple of players mentioned how tough Herve Renard can be, how is it playing under him?

Kolo: It has been a pleasure and great time because he is a top professional and working with such an individual you can only enjoy and I enjoyed every day working with him.

He is honest and when you work hard you will love him, if you do the right things he will be happy and if you are not honest, you will have trouble with him which is normal.

supersport.com: You mentioned the likes of Aruna Dindane on that glorious night you won after penalty shoot out, he must be important?

Kolo: He is my brother, Aruna is my brother. He lost his daughter when we were in the African Cup Nations held in Egypt.

He received a call from his wife and he had lost his daughter and I was in the same room as him and that really hurt me a lot and that is why I dedicate this win to my brother Ibrahima Traore who I love and to my best friend Aruna Dindane’s baby girl.

That is very important to me and at the start of the competition I told my wife that I want to win for both of them and we did it.

supersport.com: To mention a few, players like Didier Drogba and Zokora, Aruna Dindane, Emmanuel Eboue started this hunt but weren't there for glory, bet you would wish they would be there to lift with you?

Kolo: Definitely, because we were all part for this golden generation and important for us because we deserved it but at the end for us God decided who is going to win and by being there with Copa and Yaya in this group that means this whole generation has won as well and we dedicate this to them

supersport.com: Let's go back to Abidjan, for many years many players in the team were ASEC Mimosa alma mater, how vital has the club been in this success, friendship and glory of Les Elephants?

Kolo: Everything started from there because we were very young and learn football at the same time with the same coach and that is why it was important for us, this generation to win something we deserved it and it’s a shame we did not win before because we played fantastic football but to lose on penalties twice was difficult you know but ASEC Mimosa has been key Jean-Marc and Roger Ouegnin, just gave the facilities and we made it, that shows when young African players are given facilities they can make it.

supersport.com: You've been to two finals, when you were 2-0 down, what was running through your mind and did you think you could actually turn it around?

Kolo: No. Honestly, when we went two nil down, I was like Oh my God, this thing is going to happen to us all over again and then God changed things for us, when we were two nil down, I was like, finished, it was done but God changed things for us and we thank him.

supersport.com: Any words of advise to Eric Bailly and Wilfred Konan whom you complemented during Afcon?

Kolo: My Boys and I have been chatting with Konan because he had a surgery on his knee and I will give him a call to talk to him, I have been talking to Bailly as well. They are my boys and I want to protect them and there is a top player like Ousmane Vieira as well and I think the defense will be fine now, they have won and they will not have a tough times like we did.

supersport.com: Will you miss the vibe of African football?

Kolo: Definitely, it is difficult to say I won’t be play for my national team anymore, missing out on those interesting and tough games but at the end of the day you need to know when to go out when you have hit your target, what more else do you want, I work hard and give my heart but when I can’t do that anymore, it is finished.

supersport.com: Any memorable moments on African football? Most memorable matches? Opponents? Venues? Tournaments?

Kolo: I will say few World Cups. The first one was amazing in Germany in 2006, the tournament, facilities, games and that was the best for me.

supersport.com: Any word to your fans?

Kolo: I just want to tell them, it has been fifteen fantastic years trying to give everything, some ups and downs but honestly, I want to tell them from the bottom of my heart, my target was to win the African Cup of Nations but you need to have this luck sometimes, at the end we had this luck and I thank God for that win because he is the only one who gave it to us, me and Copa Barry are no longer playing for the team, I am proud and happy now and we have won some few trophies in the World but for me the African Cup of Nations was the best one.