FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: Honorary Mention - Leroy Sane

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Leroy Sane - Germany

Most arguably the biggest omission of them all. Leroy Sane, one of the best players in Manchester City’s title-winning squad, has been left out of the German team to compete at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. No one could have predicted that he would not make it having scored 14 goals and contributing 17 assists in the most competitive league in the world, the English Premier League. He also won PFA Young Player of the Year. Surely, Joachim Low has made a big decision that could backfire against him. He prefers Brandt and Draxler who have a combined 16 goals and 9 assists in the 2017/18 season. Clearly, these two are not on the 22-year old’s level which leaves us wondering. Why is it that he has been dropped out of that German squad? We need answers!

FT 2017/18 Best African XI: LCB – Medhi Benatia

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

LCB – Medhi Benatia [Juventus & Morrocco]

Another defensive rock in Benatia, he plies his trade in the Italian Serie A. This league is known for being the most tactical with disciplined sides who are hard to score against. In such a league, another African stands out in being one of the best defenders in the 2017/18 season. Benatia of Juventus played 34 games for both club and country this season. He played a part in their club’s UEFA Champions League run that was ended by Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. The Moroccan defender will be leading his team from the back at the FIFA World Cup tournament hosted by Russia next month. He will be under a lot of pressure to shut out all the attacks by the opponents. Will his team make it all the way to the final and win it?

FT 2017/18 Best African XI: CB – Kalidou Koulibaly

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation

CB – Kalidou Koulibaly [Napoli & Senegal]

The centre-back has been at his best in recent years and had another wonderful season with his club Napoli who gave Juventus a run for their money in the Italian Serie A. Koulibaly was at the heart of the defense in a season where they came close to winning the league to end the 7-year reign of the Old Ladies. The 26-year-old Senegalese midfielder is once again a transfer target for the biggest clubs in Europe to prove how much of a great talent he is. It would not be surprising to see him joining Arsenal, Manchester United or even Real Madrid this summer after playing 45 times across all competitions. He scored 5 times and provided an assist on top of his defensive duties which makes him a great threat and asset on both ends of the pitch. Kalidou is going to the FIFA World Cup as well this year. Will he have a great tournament with a team that looks strong on paper?

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FT 2017/18 Best African XI: RCB - Hamdi Nagguez

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

RCB - Hamdi Nagguez [Tunisia & Zamalek SC]

A disappointing season from the ever-present Serge Aurier meant that the right-back spot would be up for grabs. Victor Moses who was predominantly used in the right wing-back position last season by Antonio Conte lost his place in the Chelsea lineup as the manager was trying new tactics. He later returned to the team but it was already too late. Hamdi Nagguez of Tunisia who plays for Zamalek in Africa had already done enough to deserve a place among the best African Players of the 2017/18 season. The 25-year old was solid in the position for the greater part of the season and also contributed 6 assists to his teammates. Thumbs up to the Tunisian who is going to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. It would be a great opportunity for him to test himself against the world’s best.

FT 2017/18 Best African XI: GK - Itumeleng Khune

The 2017/18 season was as entertaining as any. Our African players took the European leagues by storm once more as they were taught by the legends who left a mark in these leagues as early as the 1970s. Most definitely, Mo Salah has been the talk of the town for his remarkable contribution to his club, Liverpool both in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. In this piece, we are looking at the best African players to have played this season by each position and see who deserves to rub shoulders with the Egyptian King in the Starting XI. Here are our FT 2017/18 African Players of the Year lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

GK - Itumeleng Khune [South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs]

First up, we have the South African goalkeeper as our No. 1. Quite surprising to see that the Amakhosi goalkeeper is just 30 years old having represented Kaizer Chiefs for the longest time. If you do not know him then it is important to mention he is one of the best distributors of the ball in the whole world. Khune is also one of the Legends in the making to join the list that includes Vincent Enyeama and El-Hadary. In the 2017/18 season, the experienced Khune had 20 shutouts (clean sheets) in 4 competitions. This is thanks to his reflexes, shot stopping abilities as well as his defensive organization at the back. He has the voice to command the backline and deserves a place in FT 2017/18 African XI. By far, the best African goalkeeper this season.

FT Top 10 World Cup Snub: #2 - Alexander Lacazette

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Alexander Lacazette - France

Alexander Lacazette has reasons to be extremely disappointed as he will not be flying to Russia with the French National Team to play in the World Cup this summer. After making a triumphant return with Arsenal following a mid-season knee injury, his goals helped guide Arsenal to the UEFA Europa League Final. French manager, Didier Deschamps, pointed to Lacazette perhaps not impressing him over the last two years as opposed to his recent form. During the last international friendlies, Lacazette and Anthony Martial were both decisive players and Lacazette scored against Germany. Nevertheless, a massive snub indeed, and some of the French media have focused on the fact that Deschamps has chosen more versatile attackers that are capable of playing in multiple positions and tactically assuming multiple roles. Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, and Antoine Griezmann are most likely the starting attacking players and with players like Nabil Fekir and Ousmane Dembele also in the 23-man group, France certainly may not regret Lacazette’s absence.

FT Fashion and Football: Wilfred Zaha

Most of the times, the average soccer fan focuses on the day-to-day status of their favorite club’s business. This usually means concentrating on match results, previews, transfer news, and debates on which player is better than the next. That’s where FirstTouch Africa comes in and opens your eyes to some of the things that happen because of football. We are talking about fashion. The crazy hair-cuts and luxurious lifestyles of your star players are what we are going to shed some light on in this season-end.

The Crystal Palace star, Wilfred Zaha is first up on our list of the most fashionable players of African descent. He is popular in his squad for his heroic efforts in almost single-handedly rescuing his team from the drop in the English Premier League 2017/18 season. The club is guaranteed one more season in the top flight competition. But what has the club managed to do for the player? He can now afford a fancy lifestyle in England when he is not representing the Ivory Coast, the national team. The player is one of the few people who used to get a haircut EVERY day before he started growing his dreadlocked Mohawk. Yes, that’s right. He had the patience to sit down for a fresh cut which he says, “A haircut will take me from a 5 to a 10.” Nowadays he probably has someone to work on his fade while still maintaining his dreadlocks. Apart from that, the Ivorian winger has a pretty dope car collection. He owns a Lamborghini Aventador, Gallardo, Mercedes G63 AMG, Porsche Cayenne among others. He has also created a clothing line called Long Live. What more do you need when you are on a £110,000-a-week contract?

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: LW - Percy Tau [Mamelodi Sundowns]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

LW - Percy Tau

The only player to make it on our list of the next transcendent players while playing in the continent of Africa is Percy Tau. The 23-year old has been the star of the show in the South African Premier Soccer League in recent years. The South African player has been likened to Premier League stars such as Sadio Mane with former football legends like El Hadji Diouf claiming that he is better than the Senegalese forward who plays for Liverpool. If you want to know more about this player, you can read an article we shared about his heroic performances for Mamelodi Sundowns who recently played against Barcelona on Wednesday, 15 May 2018.

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: CF - Emmanuel Boateng [Levante]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

CF - Emmanuel Boateng

21-year old Ghanaian striker made the headlines a few weeks ago after inspiring Levante into defeating Barcelona to end their undefeated run. The player scored a hat-trick in the match and many fans have been curious to know what he is about. The young African player joined Levante in the summer of 2017 from Portuguese side Moreirense and has a mixed start to life in Spain. He only started 11 matches for Levante and has scored 7 goals. Three of them coming on that historic night against Barcelona. He made a claim to the rest of the world that he is capable of performing against the very best just like Samuel Eto’o did after he was released by Real Madrid. He went on to make the move to Barcelona and became a legend for the club. Are we witnessing another story of an African player who proves his worth at a small Spanish side before moving to the biggest clubs in Europe? What we know for sure he has started to attract the attention that had been reserved for Kelechi Iheanacho who has stagnated ever since 2016.

FT Top World Cup Snubs: #1 - Mauro Icardi

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at the 10 players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Mauro Icardi - Argentina

Mauro Icardi has been exempted from the FIFA World Cup 2018 Squad for Argentina. Many analysts have come out to say that the Inter Milan striker is so unfortunate to be playing in the age of great attacking options for the country with players like Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and Lionel Messi. Nonetheless, the player has done enough to deserve a place in the squad. The role of the striker is to score goals and Icardi has just done that for his club this season scoring 30 goals in 38 matches. This rate is better than Higuain and Dybala’s returns this season who played in the same competitions with the player but only managed 27 and 26 each respectively. There are not many players as gifted as the young 25-year old at finishing but Jorge Sampaoli could not trust that he would bring them success in the tournament which raises questions about how these decisions are made. The player evidently had a better season than many but is omitted from the squad which proves that he falling short because he represents a smaller club than his counterparts.

FT World Cup Focus: Players vs The Mental Side of Football

PENALTY! It is this one to win it for Ghana and they will make it to the semifinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Asamoah Gyan steps up to take the last kick of the match. 1-1 is the scoreline against Uruguay. The referee gives the greenlight…OH…HE MISSES!

This event sparked the abusive attacks that the player received in person and on social media blaming him for his country’s elimination from the tournament in the quarterfinals. The whole continent of Africa was rooting for Ghana to go all the way and they were on the verge of a record-breaking semifinal place for an African team only for him to mistakenly hit his shot against the crossbar and fail to score. What many might not know is what the player went through after walking off the pitch at the end of the penalty shootout. Asamoah Gyan’s confidence ran low. He also missed a great penalty for Ghana 2 years later at the 2012 African Cup of Nations against Zambia in the semifinals.

He said, “I'd like to apologize to the fans. It's been very difficult for me. I'd never miss a penalty on purpose. It's now two of the biggest penalties in my country's history and it's difficult to take. I've been unlucky. We all miss them. Fans should know it's not easy. (Didier) Drogba missed in the final. (Samuel) Eto'o has missed before. It's happened to the greatest before, I'm sorry.” He apologized deeply because he had received so much stick which could have caused depression.

Another player who eventually could not recover from this depression and psychological pressures that players experience as part of the game is Robert Enke. The German goalkeeper ended up committing suicide. His club’s president confirmed the Hannover player had been ‘unstable’ but it had not been noticed publicly. He left a suicide note after a culmination of a long struggle with depression which shocked the world of football. It is such extreme instances that brings sense to everyone that the players are also human. They experience a lot throughout their career and sometimes play with injuries just to avoid being attacked by the fans.

Just recently, Loris Karius of Liverpool was culpable for conceding two cheap goals in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid. He immediately apologized at the end of the match. Today I lost my team the game and I feel sorry for everyone.

“I’m sorry for everyone – from the team, from the whole club – that the mistakes cost dearly. If I could go back in time, I would. I feel sorry for my team. I know I let them down today,” Karius said in the post-match interview with talkSPORT.

Memes have already been created by his mistakes and he is dubbed treacherous.

He is already being compared to Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples who betrayed him for a bribe in The Bible. Many former players have come out to ask the fans to show the player some love. Mistakes are part of the game and he never intended to give away a win when he was also fighting for the title. It was a dark day for the player and the fans in the stadium clapped him at the end of the match. Their reaction proves that they understood what he was going through as a person and we only wish for that to spread across the world.

The FIFA World Cup is commencing in less than 3 weeks and it is almost certain that someone will make a big error leading to a goal. There are some players that will be psychologically challenged and our duty as fans of the game is to spread love in our messages to show support to the people that sacrificed their lives to entertain us in each and every 90 minutes of play. STOP abusing the players. They are human. They are like you and me. Let us support the game!

Football Business: La Liga club Sevilla reach three-year kit sponsorship deal with Nike

Congrats to La Liga’s own Sevilla, as the have just announced a new three-year kit sponsorship with Nike.

Nike will take pole position as the Seville club’s technical sponsor until the end of the 2020/21 season, creating the squad’s match and training kit as well as a range of new merchandise for the clubs fanbase.

Rival and domestic brand New Balance has seen its five-year deal with Sevilla expire at the end of this 2017-18 season, with Sevilla providing confirmation over their impending partnership with Nike following several months of negotiation between both parties.

The financial terms of the contract have yet to be disclosed, but reports in Spain describe the deal as “more than favourable” for Sevilla.

Sevilla finished this past 2017/18 La Liga season in seventh place, ensuring qualification for the UEFA Europa League in the 2018/19 season. Even though they have won this competition three times in the last four years, we wonder if Nike will be pushing the club to have consistent top 4 aspirations in La Liga.

Do you think Sevilla will have the consistent performance needed in domestic and foreign competition to eventually keep their Nike partnership after 2021?

FT Top 10 World Cup Snubs: #10 - Jack Wilshire

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest individual sports tournament in the whole world. Russia successfully submitted a bid and are going to be hosting this year’s World Cup. Many players have given their all during the 2017/18 season in a bid to get a sit on the plane to Russia to represent their national teams. Since the decisions lie on the managers and their team, it was bound that many players would be shockingly dropped in teams especially with a lot of competition for places. Here, we look at some of the players who failed to make the cut on the final squad list.

Jack Wilshere – England

Regarded as England’s only creative genius, Jack Wilshere has suffered from injuries which hampered his progress ever since he made a name for himself at Arsenal. The player left for Bournemouth last season in search of playing time and had a decent season. He came back to Arsenal and was slowly integrated back into the first team fold. He played some crucial matches in the UEFA Europa League before being handed the chance to redeem himself in the Premier League where he scored 2 goals and provided 5 assists in all competitions. The player was called up to the national team by Gareth Southgate last month before picking up a slight knock that prevented him from playing. I think he is ruing that opportunity because it has cost him his place in the final team.

The England boss named his final list and the player was not even a part of the provisional five. He must be disappointed not to make it. Without Wilshere, England has little creativity from midfield which means that their chances of going far in the tournament have already reduced before even kicking a ball.

FT Top 5 Young Players With African Roots: Dele Alli [Tottenham]

The English international was born on 11 April 1996 in Milton Keynes, England. His full name is Bamidele Jermaine Alli and was born to a Nigerian father, Kenny of the Yoruba tribe and English mother, Denise. Dele’s father moved to the United States a week after he was born and was raised by his mother who suffered from alcohol problems. He fell in love with the game at a tender age and joined the Milton Keynes Dons youth system when he was just 11. At 13, Alli moved into the home of a teammate at MK Dons and stayed with Alan and Sally Hickford whom he considers being his adoptive parents although he was never legally adopted. His first touch professional football was a back-heel pass in his senior debut for MK Dons in 2012 when he came on as a substitute against Cambridge City.

Three years later,  English Premier League giants, Tottenham Hotspur signed him for an initial fee of £5 million. After a loan spell at MK Dons, Alli made his Tottenham debut against Manchester United in August 2015. For the rest of the 2015/16 campaign, he delivered performances that won him the PFA Young Player of the season after scoring ten Premier League goals in his rookie season and helping Spurs qualify for the Champions League after a five-year drought. In the ensuing season, he changed his kit name to Dele citing that he “felt no connection” to his legal surname after parting ways with his mother. In that campaign, Dele consolidated his place as one of the most exciting talents in the football world, winning the PFA Young Player of The Year for the second time and the buzz continued with rumors linking him to the likes of Real Madrid. He, however, stayed at Spurs and has become an integral part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad alongside Harry Kane. He has become the most highly rated young player with an increased valuation of  €82.6 million, a staggering 142% increase in a year. It has not all been chocolate and roses for Dele as he has received a fair share of criticisms for some sluggish performances and behavior. He is, however, proving to be a growing player and individual who is expected to star for the three lions in the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Here is how some football icons described the 22-year-old:

“In the box, he looks like a striker, and outside the box, he plays like a midfielder." - Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham Manager

"He is fast, fluid and has a great skill set" - Rafael van de Vaart, Dutch Footballer

Frank Lampard thinks he is sneaky and intelligent to have the ability to, "to get into the box without being marked".

FT 2017/18 African Transcendent XI: GK-Andre Onana [Ajax]

Many African players have light up the European leagues ever since the days of George Weah. These include Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, Okocha, etc. who have performed at an extraordinary level in the past decades. Mo Salah of Liverpool and Egypt has been the fan favorite this year for his record-breaking goals and guiding his club to the UEFA Champions League final. But this is not all the continent has to offer. There are other young players who are showing early promises of reaching these levels or even better them. Therefore, FirstTouch reflects on the next transcendent U23 players in each position.

GK – Andre Onana

22-year old Onana is a goalkeeper for Dutch club Ajax who guided his team to a second-placed finish in the league. Andre Onana hails from Nkol Ngok, Cameroon and is showing early promises of becoming a European hit like his predecessors. To those that watched football between the 80s and 90s, they should remember a famous Liverpool goalkeeper who was from Zimbabwe. Bruce Grobbler was popular for his comedic stunts between the sticks. If not him, then you probably know Vincent Enyeama. One of the African legends who played for Nigeria for the longest time. Andre Onana is on his way. Ajax is a team that has produced some of the best talents in Europe and he has a starting spot on that team. It is just a matter of time before the rest of Europe start bidding in for the keeper of the future who is already amassing 39 appearances in a top league.

Bouna Sarr refuses to represent Senegal at the FIFA World Cup 2018

Bouna Sarr is a defender who plays for Marseille in the French Ligue 1. He is a son of a Senegalese father and a Guinea mother who was born in France in 1992. The player has never represented a national team in his whole career, and is now 26 years of age. He got an opportunity of a lifetime to go and play at the FIFA World Cup this year in Russia, an opportunity that some of the greatest legends in football like Ryan Giggs never got until they retired. However, this did not prevent him for declining the chance to represent Senegal. He said, “It’s France and nothing else, nothing else is a big word, but I always dreamed of playing for the French team.”

This is not the first time that the player has declined the opportunity to play for an African team. He once also rejected to play for Guinea in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations saying that, “I’m French, I was born here I only have an attraction for the Blues.” Current Arsenal player, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was also born in Laval, France but chose to represent the nation of his parents in Gabon. How odd is that?

Bouna Sarr is not the first player to reject the chance to represent African teams. In fact, there are so many other players in the past, some are even football legends, who chose to play for other nations like France, Italy and Portugal, even though they either were of African descent or they were born in the motherland. Let’s take a look at some of these players.

Firstly, the English Premier League was graced with a fantastic player in Patrick Vieira who played and captained Arsenal for many years. He was part of the famous ‘Invincible’ squad that went the whole season without losing a single match. He is also a World Cup winner with France having lifted the trophy in 1998. But did you know that he was born in Dakar, Senegal? Patrick began his career at Cannes in 1994 after his family moved from Dreux when he was eight years old. His surname, Vieira, is Portuguese and is the maiden name of his mother who also hails from Cape Verde. African blood in his veins and also born in Africa, but he chose to represent France because of reasons unknown. What we appreciate is his contribution to the game and creating a legacy where new players who play in a similar position are dubbed ‘the new Patrick Vieira’. Imagine what could have been had he represented the Senegalese nation?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the face of the Portuguese nation. Hold your horses there! We are not saying he is African, but…he shares the dressing room with someone from Africa. There was once a time when Manchester United produced a talent that looked like he was capable of equaling the player’s greatness. Louis Nani is the name of the player in question who was a promise but eventually failed to leave up to the hype. He, much like Ronaldo, represents the Portuguese nation and was part of the squad that lifted Portugal’s first major title in the UEFA Euro 2016. What most people might not know is the fact that the player is descendent from a small but beautiful island in Africa. Cape Verde is one of the tourist destinations in the continent with numerous beaches and has traditional morna music that Nani is familiar with because of his parents. There are some reports that he was born in Praia, Cape Verde but chose to represent Portugal and his decision is arguably justified after playing a part in the history-making Euros 2016.

Also, Super Mario is another player of African descent who chose to represent Italy instead of Ghana. Of course, we do not mean the game. Mario Balotelli, a striker that has represented clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Nice, is a son of Ghanaian parents. He was approached by the African team to represent them in 2008, but he refused because he was waiting for Italy to give him the nod. It is entirely a surprise why he is someone of questionable behaviour considering the way African parents discipline their kids. Mario is a wild card that has given headaches to his managers, Mourinho and Mancini because of his unpredictable behaviour. He is capable of skipping practice sessions without any reason, start a fight with teammates or even try some of the silliest things on the football pitch like doing a 360 turn alone when he is through on goal. The player is currently on a forced sabbatical from the national team after being exiled by the former Italy boss, Ventura who thought the player disrupted the camp.

Some so many players represented European sides. Some names worth mentioning include Zinedine Zidane (the current Real Madrid coach) of Algerian descent, Makelele born in Congo, N’golo Kante from Mali etc. Who else can you think of that we could have mentioned?

Spotlight: Who is Yaya Toure?

As we approach the end of the English Premier League season, FirstTouch takes time to look back and appreciate one of the most influential players in the league. Yaya Toure, an all-round midfielder from Cote d’Ivoire, played for Barcelona and Manchester City in the best years of his career. The 33-year old is approaching the end of his time at the Etihad with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2017/18 season. Let’s look at what Yaya Toure has been through during his stay at the above-mentioned clubs in Europe.   

First off, let’s focus on his time at Barcelona. Yaya Toure joined Barcelona from Monaco in 2007 for £6.7m after being an influential midfielder for the French side where he rescued them from relegation. However, Toure had problems with the previous manager of the club, Laszlo Boloni, who was not playing him in his midfield most preferred position. When he joined Barcelona, he enjoyed the first season under Rijkaard where he made a total of 40 appearances which managed two goals. Yaya Toure was still in the shadow of big brother Kolo who was making a name for himself at Arsenal as a rock solid defender in the EPL. Guardiola took over the reins just a year later, and he preferred Busquets to Yaya Toure as the defensive midfielder for Barcelona in 2008. The promise of first-team football in his preferred position at Barcelona was not going to be possible. Guardiola used the player as a center-back in the UEFA Champions League final in 2009 when the team suffered from injuries. He was later allowed to move to the club of his dream in 2010.

Manchester City approached Toure and he, initially thought that he would be joining Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. It was his agent who clarified that he was joining the team who wears blue and he was excited by the challenge of joining a club that was in the shadow of their local rivals. Manchester City paid £24.6 million for the services of a player who was pretty much a reserve player and Toure was going to be receiving £139,000 a week. The journey of the African player to become a legend at the Etihad Stadium was set on course.

2012 was a year of history for the cash-rich Manchester club. It is the year that the club beat Manchester United to the title on goal difference. Sergio Aguero scored the winner for Manchester City in stoppage time of the last game in the 2011/12 season. Yaya Toure was an integral part of the club’s midfield. This earned him much respect in the English Premier League and comparisons with some of the greatest midfielders in the league like Keane, Vieira, etc. was just a moment away. Toure came out and thanked his teammates for the title and paid tribute to his manager for trusting in him and playing him in a position that he found difficult to maintain in the previous clubs he represented.

In addition to that, Toure evolved to become a ruthless attacker who scored goals that are still admired today. In the 2013/14 season, Yaya Toure assumed a more attacking role in Manchester City and even though he was primarily deployed as a defensive midfielder. This season, Yaya Toure managed to score 20 goals in the English Premier League which was unspoken off considering that he came from deep to set himself up and his contribution won his club the English Premier League title again as well as the FA Cup. At this moment, Yaya Toure had become the more popular player in his family and had stepped out of the shadow of the former Arsenal player.

His career might sound smooth when reading this piece, but Toure has had his fair share of controversy during his time at City. The player once threatened to leave the club because they had forgotten to show him love on his 31st birthday. His agent, Dimitry Seluk, is the one that confirmed the story that the player felt disrespected and the club was put under pressure. Some saw this incident as a stunt by the pair to pressurize the club to improve the terms of the contract, and the club fell for it. His contract saw him being the highest paid player in English football at $334,000 a week. All this was soon going to fade away with the player approaching the ‘old age’ years.

The manager who pushed him out of the club at Barcelona and laughed at Toure for joining a ‘s**t’ team eventually found his way to Toure’s home. Pep Guardiola has announced the new boss at Manchester City in 2016, and the Ivorian player probably knew that he was doomed. It is no secret that the pair had a rocky relationship because of the way the manager treated Toure at Barcelona and eventually forced him to move to the Citizens. This time, Guardiola took over a club where Toure was already a legend and was the focal point of the team before Aguero. The Spaniard soon changed that and eventually left Yaya out of the first team after his manager after Toure’s agent, Dimitry Seluk, called out Guardiola on his hypocrisy in coming to England after making fun of the club in 2010. This did not sit down well with Guardiola, and he punished the player because of his agent’s words. The fans were heartbroken by this situation but the relationship was mended, and Yaya was restored to the first team early last year. He played enough to earn another year in an extension.

This season seems like it will be his last at Manchester City and he has been ousted again for the third time in his career by the same manager. Guardiola brought replacements for the player because he does not believe in his abilities and it is about time that the player takes the next step in his career. Toure played in the 4-1 win against West Ham today, and he could only manage a second-half appearance even when the team has been confirmed champions of the Premier League this season. It is evident that Guardiola never like him and the African player will probably leave in the summer. It has been quite a journey for the Ivorian midfielder who won the La Liga (twice), Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup (twice), and the English Premier League on three occasions. He has undoubtedly subscribed his name in the Hall of Fame of not just English football, but on the European scene and he will be missed if he decides to call his time at the end of the season.

Police arrest 2 suspects for attempted murder on a Liverpool fan

Violence has no place in football! The game between Liverpool and Manchester City created a hostile environment which saw the Manchester City bus attacked by Liverpool fans. UEFA responded to that incident and issued a penalty towards Liverpool because of the behavior of their fans. Because of that, some Roma fans thought that they could copy this unlawful behavior as they attacked a Liverpool fan near the stadium. The man who was attacked goes by the name Sean Cox who is a father of three. The 53-year old was attacked near the Kop Stand where the fans were gathering before the semifinal game between AS Roma and Liverpool started. The incident took place around 7.35pm and some witnesses have come forward to say that the victim was hit with a belt before going to ground. He was treated by the paramedics at the scene before being carried to Walton Neurological Centre by an ambulance where he is in a critical condition. He is being treated for a head injury and the police are appealing to anyone who has any information or evidence that can help their case. In the interim, two suspects have been apprehended believed to be between the ages 20 and 29 on suspicion of attempted murder.

Liverpool issued a statement after the incident saying, “Liverpool Football Club will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to establish an understanding of the facts, following a serious and disturbing incident at Anfield last night which has left a 53-year-old supporter in a critical condition in hospital.”

This is such a shame that some fans would go all the way to fight over the beautiful game that we all love. UEFA also denounced these actions and we are waiting to see how this matter will be handled. Merseyside police have also arrested 7 other men on suspicions of affray, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, among others. Our thoughts are with the victim. Let us end violence in the game.