Fearful Toure worries about family back home

Cote d’Ivoire defender Kolo Toure is worried about his family’s safety while he plays for the war torn country at the African Nations Cup in Egypt.
Cote d’Ivoire has been torn into two since a 2002 civil war launched by rebels hoping to oust current president Laurent Gbagbo, in which thousands of Ivorians have lost their lives.

According to sources, fresh unrest is feared this week following riots earlier this month. The United Nations said last week that it had to pull out nearly 400 civilian staffers due to an imminent break of violence.

Most of the players have family back home in Cote d’Ivoire and they are aware of the fact that a good run at the African Nations Cup would not only serve as a good preparation for the World Cup in Germany, but bring a much needed lift to a nation divided.

However, the players are under no illusions that even winning the coveted World Cup will bring total peace to the country. Football might unite a nation but the social and political unrest in a country that still has 11,000 U.N and French peacekeepers cannot be overlooked.