Didier Zokoro to quit international football

Didier Zokoro to quit international football
By Edwin Akwueh

Ivorian defensive midfielder, Didier Zokora has outlined one condition that could end his ten year international career with the Ivory Coast national team.

Didier zokora who began his international career with the likes of Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, and Siaka Tiene over a decade ago, believes lifting the Africa cup of nations trophy will be the only worthy reward at this twilight of his career.

“I would like to end my time with the national team should we lift the title at this Orange Africa Cup of Nations. We have played together for many years and have come into Africa Cup of Nations finals as potential winners but it has not happened and we desperately want to get it right this time round.” Zokora said.

The former Tottenham of England midfielder, who now plays for Turkish club Trabzonspor, is optimistic that the elephants are now more focused to get it right, owing to the new strategies introduced by Coach Francois Zahoui which is helping them to subdue past difficulties that hindered their success.

“There is cohesion and we have 23 quality players playing for each other and the country. We all go by what the coach decides and he has the right to lead and select the teams as he sees best.”

“It will be important for some of the senior players like myself to finally win this Cup which is long overdue in Ivory Coast and as l said should that happen l will retire and leave the young Ivorians to carry on with the good foundation built here.”

Speaking on their west African derby against Mali in one of the semi finals of the current tournament, Zokora who described their job in central Africa as “commitment to six finals’’ said their failures in the past decade has given the elephants enough experience to go all the way.

According to him, “the matches have been tough and challenging, but that’s what we expected so the West African derby against Mali will be just the same and we have to be focused and ready. Mali is a good team and with young players and they have done well to get this far so we will respect them and play to win’’.

Ivory Coast lost out to hosts Egypt in the final of the 2006 edition on penalties, suffered a quarter final exit in the previous edition held in Angola and must defeat a Malian side with similar experience in order to end a twenty year Nations cup drought. 

   
Cokey