Brother Of 2014 World Cup Players Yaya And Kolo Toure Dies

In a double tragedy for fans of the 2014 World Cup and the every one supporting The Ivory Coast team, hours after the country’s match against Colombia, the brother of two members of the 2014 World Cup passed away. The younger brother of Yaya Toure and Kolo Toure, both part of the Ivory Coast 2014 World Cup team, passed away in Britain, according to Yahoo News. The Ivory Coast Football Federation has confirmed the same.

Ibrahim Toure, the 28-year-old brother of Yaya and Kolo, reportedly passed away on Thursday, a few hours after the 2014 World Cup match between Ivory Coast and Colombia. Ivory Coast lost the match 2-1. According to the country’s football federation, both Yaya and Kolo were informed about the death of Ibrahim after their match against Colombia. The organization hasn’t yet revealed the cause of Ibrahim Toure’s death. Ibrahim passed away in Manchester, UK where his brother Yaya plays for Manchester City in the Premier League. Initial reports from Britain suggests that Ibrahim was a cancer patient and that he had been receiving treatment in Manchester for the same.

The Ivory Coast Football Federation statement reads thus:

“A tough day for the Toure brothers. Just hours after the (Colombia) match Kolo and Yaya have learned of the death of their younger brother. The entire Ivorian delegation in Brazil supports them in this painful circumstance.”

Yaya was the captain of the 2014 World Cup team that played against Colombia yesterday. His brother Kolo, who plays for Liverpool as a defender, was on the bench. It is unclear if the brothers would cut short their 2014 World Cup trip after the death of their brother. Ivory Coast, who is placed second in Group C of the World Cup, still has a chance of getting through to the second round of the tournament.

Manchester City, where Kolo also used to play, released a statement that reads:

“The thoughts of everyone at Manchester City FC are with Yaya and Kolo Toure following the death of their younger brother Ibrahim. Ibrahim was a regular visitor to Carrington and was a popular figure among the staff and players and was extremely close to his two older brothers.The thoughts of everyone connected with City are with the Toure family at this most difficult time.”

Yaya Toure is the current African player of the year. Ibrahim Toure himself was a professional footballer who played for Lebanon’s Al Safa club.

[Image via Manchester City FC]