LONDON: Yaya Toure ranks deposing bitter rivals Manchester United as one of the greatest achievements during his time at Manchester City as he prepares to leave the Premier League champions.
City have won the league three times during the Ivorian’s eight-year stint at the club as well as four domestic cups and have become one of the highest-profile clubs in the game.
“When I came to City, we could not compare, they (United) had so many trophies, so many Champions League finals,” said the 34-year-old, who is leaving the Etihad at the end of the season.
“But that was the purpose — to come to City, to put United in the shadow, although that would be difficult. The semifinal was a big part of it.”
The semifinal referred to was in the FA Cup in 2011, a tense derby against United which Toure settled with the only goal early in the second half. City went on to win the final and end a 35-year wait for a trophy, validating the vast expenditure lavished on the club since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008.
“United were in our way,” said the midfielder. “We had to remove them, they were such a force.
“Coming into the game they had such confidence, they thought they were going to beat us. I’ll never forget it, they missed big chances. At half-time we were nearly fighting in the dressing room.
“We said ‘go out and play like men — or we go home again and say to (chairman) Khaldoon, ‘thank you, we’ve eaten the money but we move on because this club will never achieve’.
“We had that chat and you saw a different City in the second half. That’s why we won the game. It was brilliant, awesome.”
Toure is set for a huge ovation as he plays his final home game for City against Brighton at the Etihad on Wednesday.
The Ivorian has been one of the club’s most influential players since his arrival from Barcelona in 2010 and was a driving force in the Premier League successes of 2012 and 2014.
His influence has decreased since and he made only nine appearances, all off the bench, in this season’s title win.
“I am very sad about it,” said Toure, who is not planning to retire. “I wanted to be more part of it on the field, not out of the field.
“But look in our dressing room and they are all competitors now, with the will to win and to achieve. It’s a great ability, and I love it.”
Manager Pep Guardiola has assured Toure of a starting spot on Wednesday and a number of tributes are being planned.
Yaya Toure hails eclipsing of Man Utd as Man City exit looms
Yaya Toure hails eclipsing of Man Utd as Man City exit looms
- Ivorian leaving after eight years at City
- 'We had to remove United – they were such a force'
Local golfers to compete alongside world's best at Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship
- Bahraini talent secure places through national qualifying route as game’s growth continues in the Kingdom
BAHRAIN: Three Bahraini golfers will tee off alongside DP World Tour stars at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, which takes place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, having earned their places through the Kingdom's national qualifying pathway.
Ahmed Al-Zayed, Khalifa Al-Maraisi and Ali Mohamed Al-Kowari earned their places through the Kingdom’s qualifying pathway and will represent Bahrain at the Royal Golf Club in the third edition of the tournament, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
They will be joined by England's Tom Sloman, who earned a professional invitation as winner of the King Hamad Trophy, and Malaysia's Zubair Firdaus, champion of the Bahrain Amateur Open.
The local qualifiers will compete alongside a stellar field that includes three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington, current Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper, past winner Dylan Frittelli, and 2025 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Martin Couvra.
The Bahraini trio secured their spots through different routes. Al-Zayed was the best Bahraini finisher at the King Hamad Trophy, Al-Maraisi topped the Bahrain Golf Association rankings in 2025, and Al-Kowari came through the National Team Qualifying Tournament.
For Al-Zayed, who carries a +2.4 handicap, it marks a proud return to the championship.
“I’m so proud to be playing in this championship,” he said. “This is my second time participating in this event. I would like to thank Bapco Energies for organizing the biggest event in the country and the Bahrain Golf Association for giving national team players the chance to participate. I’m focused on representing my country in the best way and looking forward to playing with the best tour players to gain more experience.”
Al-Kowari, also playing off +2.4, will make his second consecutive appearance at the tournament after a hard-fought qualifying campaign.
“I'm very happy to play in this great tournament again,” he said. “It wasn't easy to get the spot, but we did it eventually. We played four days for the national team qualifier — it was really, really windy — but in the end we did it. I had some really good rounds and got the spot.”
The qualifying pathway highlights how hosting the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship is helping to develop the game across the Kingdom, providing local players with experience of competing at the highest level.
The tournament follows the Dubai Invitational and Hero Dubai Desert Classic — the first Rolex Series event of the season — as part of the DP World Tour's International Swing and features a prize fund of $2.75 million.
