“The thing is, life is not easy — people have a choice to decide who they prefer and who they want to take in.
“If we Africans carry on complaining, thinking things are going to be easy and that by saying things people are going to support us, we are wrong. I think with the initiative I take now [at Spurs], together with my big brothers like Benni, those are the steps we all have to take.
“It’s difficult for everyone, even for those Europeans. But we have to do everything in our ability to achieve [success]. When you get the opportunity, make 100% sure you are the best you can be and you can compete with other best coaches in Europe. That’s how it is.”
By succeeding, Toure believes they will make it hard for other Africans to be ignored.
“Doing that is not only for me, it means a lot for the whole African continent — for the future of the other lads that are coming after us. They will have a bright future because they have someone to refer to and follow the same path.”
The launch of the Fifa Football for Schools programme took place at the Safa national technical centre in Fun Valley on Friday.
‘Benni and I can open doors for more Africans in Europe’: Yaya Toure
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Former Barcelona, Manchester City and Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure believes people like him and SA football legend Benni McCarthy need to work harder to open doors for more African coaches in Europe.
Toure and McCarthy are among top football stars to emerge from the African continent and shone in top leagues in Europe.
They have now moved into coaching, with Toure coaching the Tottenham Hotspur under-16 side and McCarthy this month appointed forwards coach at Manchester United.
African coaches have long been overlooked by European teams, even if they show potential.
Toure believes his Spurs appointment and McCarthy's at global giants United are a positive development, but he says they need to prosper in their roles to open doors for other African coaches.
“I think we have been complaining a lot because we have been just sitting behind the scenes and saying we deserve better,” Toure said on his visit to SA for the launch of the Fifa Football for Schools programme in Johannesburg.
WATCH | 'He's a quality manager': Heaps of praise for Benni McCarthy at Manchester United
“The thing is, life is not easy — people have a choice to decide who they prefer and who they want to take in.
“If we Africans carry on complaining, thinking things are going to be easy and that by saying things people are going to support us, we are wrong. I think with the initiative I take now [at Spurs], together with my big brothers like Benni, those are the steps we all have to take.
“It’s difficult for everyone, even for those Europeans. But we have to do everything in our ability to achieve [success]. When you get the opportunity, make 100% sure you are the best you can be and you can compete with other best coaches in Europe. That’s how it is.”
By succeeding, Toure believes they will make it hard for other Africans to be ignored.
“Doing that is not only for me, it means a lot for the whole African continent — for the future of the other lads that are coming after us. They will have a bright future because they have someone to refer to and follow the same path.”
The launch of the Fifa Football for Schools programme took place at the Safa national technical centre in Fun Valley on Friday.
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