Yaya Toure Turns Down Cote d’Ivoire Assistant Coach Role

Former Cote d’Ivoire international Yaya Toure is reported to have turned down the opportunity to serve as Elephants assistant coach.

Cote d’Ivoire is currently without a coach following the sacking Patrice Beaumelle over unimpressive performance at 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

The Frenchman and his two deputies were sacked following the Elephants uninspiring showing in 2021 Afcon where they were eliminated by Egypt.

Toure has since recommended two other coaches Tiehi Joël and Haïdara Soualiho to take over the job.

The 38-year-old Toure is reported to be keen on taking a coaching role at English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspurs.

The former Barcelona star retired from football in 2019 and has since been working towards his coaching badges with Spurs’ Under-18s since December, under the supervision of academy manager Dean Rastrick, head of coaching Chris Powell and coach Stuart Lewis.

Toure , who lives in north London, has previously held coaching positions at Ukrainian club Olimpik Donetsk and Russian side Akhmat Grozny, leaving the latter in June.

The four-time African Footballer of the Year won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009 before spending eight years with Manchester City, for whom he scored 79 times in 316 appearances including the winner in the 2011 FA Cup final.

He won 101 caps for Ivory Coast and played at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.