Bye To Football: Kolo Toure Announces International Retirement

Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure has officially confirmed he will not be available for selection any longer.

The Liverpool player makes this announcement less than a week, since he and his team-mates won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.

“It is with great emotion that I inform you that I am going to step back,” Kolo said on national TV RTI. 

“It is a very difficult decision to take as I love my country and especially love football. But at some point, there comes a time to stop. 

“I am going to introduce my successor at the heart of the defence to you. He is tough. This is Ousmane Viera Diarrassouba, the new boss of the defence. He is my successor.”Daily Post reports.

The 33-year-old earned more than 110 international caps, since he make his Elephants debut in 2000. The former Arsenal and Manchester City centre-back also played at the 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 Africa Cups of Nations, as well as at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups finals.