Soccer: Toure looking to give something back to homeland

Kolo Toure has lived through some strife at Manchester City these past few months but now he finds himself in a place which puts soccer's many passing storms into proper perspective.

Angola, where Toure and his native Ivory Coast are competing in the African Nations Cup, is still dealing with the land mines and the legacy of the humanitarian crisis resulting from the civil war which raged for 27 years until 2002.

Few of the countries seeking to lift the trophy over the next three weeks have a better appreciation of what that means than his own.

The Ivorians' own five-year armed conflict between rebels and those loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo saw hundreds die between 2002 and 2007 and Toure's comfortable life in England has unfolded amid particular anxieties for his brother Ibrahim, one of the many young footballers seeking a career path amid the dangers, at the ASEC Mimosas and Toumodi clubs.

The Ivory Coast national side are known as Les Elephants and it has certainly been hard for him to forget his homeland. He is not talking about Manchester City when he says he prays the newfound stability will hold in a year of long-awaited democratic elections.

"Every time I go back to my country it's the same place. There's no big, big problem. It's the same people going to nightclubs and enjoying themselves. I think people are enjoying themselves more than before.

"They just think about enjoying life because they've been through a really bad time and now things are much better. They've just realised how life is so important."

The backdrop has made the need for success in the tournament all the greater for the national side and its coach, Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic. The star names like Toure (Kolo and brother Yaya, of Barcelona) Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou - all nurtured at the fabled Academie Abidjan set up by Jean-Marc Guillou - are perhaps the most naturally gifted of the African nations.

Yet collectively they have always faltered, allowing the better organised Egyptians to win the last two tournaments. Silverware matters like never before in this of all years for a side ranked 16th in the world and second to Cameroon in Africa.

"It's going to be really important for everyone to have a choice [at the polls] and 2010 is a big year for us," Toure acknowledges. "If we do really well in the African Nations that can help the elections go well and we're looking forward to doing well."

That's quite a big "if" because if the Ivorians' World Cup draw wasn't hard enough - Portugal, Brazil and North Korea await in South Africa's Group G - they are facing a western African dogfight in the Angolan city of Cabinda, where the tournament's tough Group B is about to unravel.

There is a sense in Africa that the Ivorian golden generation's time may be running out before they have clinched international silverware of any description.

Halilhodzic has focused on bringing organisation where before there was only glitz since his 2006 appointment.

"We needed some organisation and teamwork and team spirit, which this manager has brought to us; we love to work for each other and try to do the best for the team, not for each player," Toure acknowledges.

But Angola may be their best opportunity for some time with Ghana, winners of the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt last October, looking an increasingly formidable force.

"At the moment we have a great team but we've never won anything and there is pressure, I can tell you," Toure admits.

"In 2006, in Egypt we lost [on penalties] in the final and in 2008 in Ghana everyone was expecting us to win and we failed against Egypt again [losing 4-1 in the semifinals]. Here we have to be really careful and concentrate and do our best because it can be a big problem for us if we don't go through and win this cup. We know it's going to be really difficult.

"To play in the African Nations four months before the World Cup can be an advantage," he says. "We're going to use that because we have some more time together and we're going to gel much more than we used to."

SENSATIONAL MALI SEIZE DRAW

Mali roared back from being 4-0 down in the 79th minute of the opening African Cup of Nations match to earn a sensational 4-4 draw with hosts Angola.

Saudi Arabia-based striker Flavio put Angola in front with a 36th-minute diving header before doubling the lead in yesterday's Group A game six minutes later with another header from defender Mabina's cross.

Gilberto made it 3-0 with a 67th minute penalty before Manucho converted another penalty seven minutes later for what seemed an unassailable lead.

But substitute Seydou Keita scored in the 79th minute before Frederic Kanoute made it 4-2, Keita scored again in stoppage time and Mustapha Yatabare grabbed the equaliser.

- INDEPENDENT, AP