The Ivorian midfielder of Manchester City, Yaya Toure sets the record straight on his performance with the Elephants in an interview with MATCH before the match against Senegal in the buid-up of the CAN 2013.

Yaya Touré before the Ivory Coast-Senegal game-People must stop saying I don’t give my best to the national team

“It’s not that I do not give my best in selection., But I am used to play in a different environment in Europe for several years and I  not necessarily have the same reflexes here. At Felicia (Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium ), you can not play one-two, move the ball, move fast, the state of the pitch does not allow it. If we  are coming here, it is because we love the country, we are Ivorians, that is why we make sacrifices. It is more risky to come and play here for less money. You know, we have a team studded with stars., and in the game, all the defenders that  are found in Africa want to prove they can stop us. Though they must employ all means. People must stop saying I don’t give my best to the national team.  When I spoke earlier about rest  it was just to say that I prefer to rest instead of being in a night club for example. “