Finals climax dramatic year for Kolo Toure

LONDON, May 24: Defender Kolo Toure's emergence as a world-class defender owes as much to his performances for the Ivory Coast over the last year as it does to his achievements with English club Arsenal.

The trip to Germany next month comes at the end of a busy season for the quick-footed defender, whose highs and lows include scoring Arsenal's last ever European goal at Highbury against Villarreal on April 19 and a heart-breaking defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final last week.

Toure, a passionate player on the pitch but politely measured off it, has come through the drama of a FA Cup final penalty shootout, World Cup qualification, a place in the final of the African Nations Cup and Arsenal's gruelling run to their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League final.

Although they were beaten in the end, Toure personally had an outstanding match.

It has been a period which has confirmed the talent first spotted on the dusty streets of Abidjan when Toure had to be persuaded by friends to join in a kickabout.

Toure is one of more than 20 graduates of the fabled ASEC Abidjan academy to have moved to Europe, and is arguably the most successful.

Although only 25, he has already won 40 caps for his country and was part of the Super Cup winning side in 1999.

His path to Arsenal went via Belgium where Beveren have been a conduit for the movement of players from west Africa to the leagues of Europe.

Toure, who has just completed his fifth season with Arsenal, won an English premier league championship medal in 2004.

He was also a championship winner in the Ivory Coast with ASEC Abidjan and played in all of the Ivorians' matches in 2005 as they qualified for the World Cup finals.

He will be joined in the squad in Germany by his younger brother Gneri Yaya Toure, who is on the books of Greek champions Olympiakos.

REUTERS