Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard has defended reigning African Player of the Year Yaya Toure, saying that he doesn’t enjoy the same advantages for the Elephants as he does for club team Manchester City.
The younger Toure brother has been criticised for failing to produce the kind of barnstorming performances for Ivory Coast at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations that he regularly does in the Premier League.
And with the Elephants facing a crunch Group D match against Cameroon tonight, which will decide whether they progress into the quarterfinals, the pressure for Yaya Toure to be a match-winner at international level couldn’t be greater.
However, Renard explains that Toure has a different role in the national team and doesn’t have a midfield partner such as Fernandinho who allows him freedom to join the attack.
“Yaya Touré doesn’t have here the same environment he has at Manchester City,” Renard said in a pre-match press conference.
“In his club, there are some players like Fernandinho who work very hard for Yaya. But in the national team there is no such player able to free Yaya. But he is determined to do well and to pull his team up.”
Ivory Coast and Cameroon will meet at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, while Guinea and Mali will clash at the same time in Mongomo. There is nothing to separate the four teams on the standings, as all of the Group D matches have produced 1-1 draws.
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