Toure blasts ‘indecent’ African Player of the Year snub

LONDON (Reuters) – Angry Yaya Toure has described missing out on a fifth consecutive African Player of the Year award as “indecent”, saying the decision brought “shame” on the continent.

The Manchester City midfielder was edged out by seven votes by Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the Confederation of African Football award ceremony on Thursday.

Toure felt he should have taken the accolade again after captaining Ivory Coast to the African Nations Cup title at the start of 2015.

“I think that’s what makes it the shame of Africa,” he told Radio France International on Friday. “To behave in this way is indecent. But what can we do?”.

Aubameyang, the first player from the central African country to win the award, scored 29 Bundesliga goals in 2015 including 18 this season plus a further seven in the Europa League.

However, his Gabon team were eliminated in the first round of the Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

Expanding on his frustration, Toure said Africans “do not show that Africa is important to us”.

“We give more priority to what’s going on elsewhere than in our own continent. This is what is appalling,” he added.

“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.”

Toure’s Manchester City visit Premier League rivals Norwich City in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

(Reporting by Justin Palmer; Editing by Tony Jimenez)