56 Facts About Yaya Toure

Gnegneri Yaya Toure was born on 13 May 1983 and is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who played as a midfielder.

One of the greatest African players of all time, Yaya Toure was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2011,2012,2013 and 2014.

Yaya Toure began his playing career at Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas, where he made his debut at age 18.

Yaya Toure had stints with Beveren, Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos and Monaco before moving to Barcelona in 2007.

Yaya Toure played over 100 matches for the club and was part of the historic 2009 Barcelona side that won six trophies in a calendar year.

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In 2010, Yaya Toure moved to Premier League club Manchester City, where he scored a number of key goals, most notably the only goals in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final and final.

Yaya Toure helped City earn their first league title in 44 years.

Yaya Toure earned 100 caps for the Ivory Coast from 2004 to 2015, representing the nation at the 2006,2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Yaya Toure represented them in six Africa Cup of Nations in 2006,2008,2010,2012,2013 and 2015, helping them finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012, while captaining them to victory in 2015.

Yaya Toure is the younger brother of fellow footballer Kolo Toure, who was his teammate at Manchester City and for the national team.

Yaya Toure moved to Beveren in 2001, one of many ASEC players to do so in this period.

Ultimately, Yaya Toure grew impatient and opted to sign for Ukrainian side Metalurh Donetsk in December 2003, where he spent one-and-a-half years.

Yaya Toure was described as "the new Patrick Vieira" by his older brother.

However, he had a difficult relationship with the incumbent manager, Laszlo Boloni, with Yaya Toure claiming Boloni refused to play him in his preferred midfield position.

Laurent Banide replaced Boloni and Yaya Toure subsequently became an influential player in the second half of the season, scoring five times to help haul the club out of relegation difficulties.

Yaya Toure had established himself as a key midfielder, and with interest from around Europe he decided to join Barcelona in the summer of 2007.

Yaya Toure was issued squad number 42, the reverse of the number 24 shirt he wore at Barcelona, since Patrick Vieira had already been allocated number 24.

The goal was scored in the 70th minute and Yaya Toure was assisted by Carlos Tevez, who scored in that match.

Yaya Toure had been seen to take up a more attacking position under Roberto Mancini and revelled in the position.

On 16 April 2011, Yaya Toure scored the only goal of the game in a Man of the Match performance against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

On 3 January 2012, in a match against Liverpool, Yaya Toure scored City's second goal of the match, a 33rd-minute header from a David Silva corner.

In City's opening UEFA Champions League match of the season, away to Real Madrid, Yaya Toure produced a stellar individual performance, assisting an Edin Dzeko goal and continually worrying the hosts.

On 20 December 2012, Yaya Toure was crowned the 2012 African Player of the Year award at a ceremony in Accra, Ghana.

On 4 April 2013, Yaya Toure signed a new contract with City, keeping him at the club until 2017.

Yaya Toure's form continued with a goal from distance in the UEFA Champions League group match against Viktoria Plzen on 17 September 2013.

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Yaya Toure's scoring streak continued when he scored direct from a free kick against Wigan Athletic in the third round of the League Cup.

On 23 October 2013, Yaya Toure was the subject of racist abuse from CSKA Moscow supporters at the Arena Khimki in the group stage of the Champions League.

On 2 December 2013, Yaya Toure was named the 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year.

On 2 March 2014, Yaya Toure scored the equalising goal for Manchester City in the 2014 League Cup final against Sunderland.

Yaya Toure's performances helped City to a second Premier League title in three years.

On 5 November 2014, in a home UEFA Champions League group fixture against CSKA Moscow, Yaya Toure scored City's equaliser in the eighth minute after his compatriot Seydou Doumbia had taken under two minutes to put CSKA ahead.

On 1 March 2015, Yaya Toure started the Premier League match against Liverpool and his brother Kolo came on as an 83rd-minute substitute, marking the first time the two brothers faced each other in a competitive match.

Yaya Toure re-signed for Super League Greece club Olympiacos on 2 September 2018.

On 10 May 2019, it was reported Yaya Toure had retired from professional football and planned to start a coaching career.

In July 2020, Yaya Toure completed training sessions with EFL League Two side Leyton Orient but did not sign a contract.

Yaya Toure has been a regular member of the Ivory Coast national team since his debut in 2004.

In 2006, Yaya Toure appeared for les Elephants in all three of the team's matches at its first ever World Cup.

Yaya Toure has represented the Ivory Coast at six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, in 2006,2008,2010,2012,2013 and 2015; ending as runners-up in the 2006 and 2012 editions, and winners in 2015.

Yaya Toure was named in the CAF's team of the tournament in 2008,2012 and 2015.

On 8 February, Yaya Toure captained the Ivory Coast to its first AFCON win since 1992 with a penalty shootout defeat of Ghana at the Estadio de Bata in Equatorial Guinea.

On 20 September 2016, Yaya Toure announced his retirement from international football.

Formerly a striker, Yaya Toure plays primarily in the centre of the pitch as either a holding midfielder, or as a box-to-box midfielder, often switching between offensive and defensive stances throughout matches in the latter role.

Yaya Toure is capable of playing as a central defender, or in the number 10 role.

Yaya Toure is gifted with good technique and ball control, although he excels defensively at breaking down opposing attacking plays and winning back possession through his powerful tackling ability.

Yaya Toure is known for his pace, stamina and physical presence, which is often combined with lungbursting runs from midfield, and he has been referred to as a "human train" and a "colossus" by various pundits.

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Yaya Toure is capable of scoring goals due to his powerful striking ability from distance, and his heading ability, as well as his adeptness at scoring from set-pieces and penalties.

On 10 February 2021, Yaya Toure joined Ukrainian Premier League club Olimpik Donetsk as assistant manager.

On 14 June 2021, Yaya Toure was appointed as an assistant coach by Russian Premier League club Akhmat Grozny until June 2022.

Yaya Toure is the younger brother of Kolo Yaya Toure, who was his teammate at Beveren, Manchester City and the Ivorian national team.

In October 2013, Yaya Toure joined a campaign against elephant poaching, becoming a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme.

Yaya Toure said he had not "intentionally consumed alcohol", explaining to the court he had consumed diet cola from a jug at a party without realising there was brandy in it.

Yaya Toure conceded that his drink tasted "odd" and that he felt tired after consuming it, but did not suspect he was drunk.

Yaya Toure was banned from driving for 18 months, and was fined £54,000 – at the time the largest fine for drunk driving in British legal history.

Yaya Toure was nominated in the Personality of the Year category at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards.

In July 2014, Yaya Toure was nominated for Prize in Entertainment at the 2014 The Future Africa Awards.

In December 2015, Yaya Toure won the BBC African Footballer of the Year on a public vote for the second time, after leading the Ivory Coast to victory in the 2015 African Cup of Nations.