adminPARIS. — Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure has questioned the ambition of his fellow Africans to fulfil their potential on the global stage. Toure, a four-time and current African Player of the Year, is the only continental representative on the 23-man short-list for the 2015 Ballon d’Or – FIFA’s top individual playing prize.
“Africans have a tendency to slack off,” Toure said. “They are living in a world of their own. They believe they made it, they are the greatest, the strongest. But they don’t understand that there are many more hills to climb to reach the top.
“Unfortunately, many only see the bright side of this job: the easy money, the girls, the parties, the big cars and the beautiful clothes. And they give up too quickly on the idea of matching the best players.”
The Manchester City star continued: “Many are content with little. They send money back home and are safe for the next few years. What is the point of suffering?
“I have the feeling they prohibit themselves from dreaming big with a kind of fatalistic resignation. They believe that the highest level is not for them.”
The 32-year-old feels the current crop of African players are struggling to emulate the likes of legendary strikers Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o.
“For some time now, I have also seen that Africans are struggling to impose themselves or to exist in larger teams,” he said. — AFP.
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