[Albion] Malick Yalcouye **Singed 12/07/2024**

[Han Solo]

Apparently turned Mali down as he wants to play for Ivory Coast.

 

[pigmanovich]

Apparently turned Mali down as he wants to play for Ivory Coast.

Agent Simon’s doing?

 

[AZ Gull]

Apparently turned Mali down as he wants to play for Ivory Coast.

Which would mean that Yves Bissouma was born in the Ivory Coast, but plays for Mali; and Malick Yalcouye was born in Mali but will play for the Ivory Coast.

 

[Han Solo]

Which would mean that Yves Bissouma was born in the Ivory Coast, but plays for Mali; and Malick Yalcouye was born in Mali but will play for the Ivory Coast.

Yup. I live in the same apartment as a dude from Ivory Coast and asked if this is common but nothing he was aware of really. He did say though thay a fair number of people in some part of Africa really don't give a shit about nation borders and might just pick the better/bigger team if they can, rather than their birth country.

 

[AZ Gull]

Yup. I live in the same apartment as a dude from Ivory Coast and asked if this is common but nothing he was aware of really. He did say though thay a fair number of people in some part of Africa really don't give a shit about nation borders and might just pick the better/bigger team if they can, rather than their birth country.

I have a question for your boy from Côte d'Ivoire - at the moment there are a whole bunch of African nations that are playing their "home" matches in a neutral country. Why? I assume it's because their stadia are now deemed not up to the relevant international standard, but is it a recent diktat from CAF?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I have a question for your boy from Côte d'Ivoire - at the moment there are a whole bunch of African nations that are playing their "home" matches in a neutral country. Why? I assume it's because their stadia are now deemed not up to the relevant international standard, but is it a recent diktat from CAF?

It’s exactly for what you think it’s for, stadiums and facilities not being up to standard. The article below applies to the qualifiers played over the summer but it has been an ongoing consequence of not getting their grounds up to a standard for a while now, some of the qualifiers for last seasons AFCON were played at a neutral or at the away teams ground.

https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/poor-facilities-cost-african-teams-home-advantage-world-cup-qualifiers-2024-06-02/

 

[Han Solo]

I have a question for your boy from Côte d'Ivoire - at the moment there are a whole bunch of African nations that are playing their "home" matches in a neutral country. Why? I assume it's because their stadia are now deemed not up to the relevant international standard, but is it a recent diktat from CAF?

Its been the case for a long time that some 20 African nations lack stadiums that reach FIFA / CAF requirements but now after a decade of ignoring it, they want to push countries to build good enough stadiums. He thinks there's no chance of that happening anytime soon and that CAF will be trying to make money from having Morocco, South Africa etc. hosting instead.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

After Sima scored against Salzburg in the CL last week, it was Malick Yalcouye's turn yesterday in a bad 5-0 defeat for Salzburg away at Graz.