35-year-old free agent,Yaya Gnegneri Toure recently parted ways with Greek side, Olympiacos-his boyhood club. The 6 foot tower of intelligence remains one of the best midfielders Africa and the world at large have come across.
Talk about romancing, hugging, kissing and delicately touching the ball into an opponents half, Yaya is the man that comes in mind. The four time African player of the year redefined that box to box midfield position to the delight of fans. Goosebumps waited underneath the skin only to be awoken when “Uncle Yaya” made one of those runs again.
In a Football show this week on Skysports Yaya was asked to name the best XI players by position he has played with.
Toure had a little scratch of the head knowing how tedious it was. The finest players he found worthy of being in his team followed;
Goal keeper
Ederson Moraes(Manchester City)
Defenders.
Carles Puyol(Barcelona)
Raphael Marquez(Barcelona)
Vincent Kompany(Manchester City)
Midfield
Andres Iniesta(Barcelona)
Attack
Leroy Sane(Manchester City)
Lionel Messi(Barcelona)
Sergio Aguero(Manchester City)
Thierry Henry(Barcelona)
Didier Drogba(Ivory Coast)
Samuel Eto’o(Barcelona)
From the midfield metronomes’ starting 11, one thing is noted : The midfield circle is carried by Andres Iniesta. ‘King Yaya’ has played with Busquets, D.Silva, Xavi and Fernandino who are all good user’s of the ball. The former went with the goal-hunters instead, and explicitly gave the reason for Samuel’s pick;”What a striker. He is clever, smart and smooth with his movements.”
No hard feelings to some of the greatest guys with vision in the game, but Toure had to make some tough decisions and strange enough he didn’t pick his brother Kolo with Whom he played for Ivory Coast and Manchester City.
Kolo Toure was one of the rocks in the Arsenal Backline in the invincible campaign and also won the league and FA cup with Yaya at Manchester City plus the AFCON for Ivory Coast.
Giovanni Wanneh
