WILFRIED ZAHA INSISTS that he has no regrets over snubbing England in order to represent Ivory Coast.
Zaha switched his international allegiance in 2016, despite reported overtures from Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate to reconsider, and the Crystal Palace star is now gearing up for the Africa Cup of Nations with the reigning champions.
The 24-year-old, who was born in Abidjan, made two appearances for England in friendlies against Sweden and Scotland in 2012 and 2013, respectively, meaning that he was eligible to represent the country of his birth due to never representing the European nation in a competitive fixture.
Zaha has not looked back and is happy with his decision ahead of Ivory Coast’s AFCON opener against Togo on 16 January.
I left for England and I did not return to the (Ivory Coast) so I did all my schooling in my adopted country and it was most normal that I played for the England youth teams,” he told his new team’s official website.
“For the past four years, I have had ample time to analyse my situation and to take into account the solicitations of the Ivorian Football Association. Now I have made my choice. Now I want to play with the Ivory Coast.
It has been rewarding, firstly because I am proud to play for my country, then because the Ivorian selection has quality players and has always been a reservoir of talent. So I made the right choice and I do not regret it.”
Before Ivory Coast’s Group C opener, Zaha and co. will finalise their preparations with an international friendly against Uganda on Wednesday.
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Diff type of footballer these days and they aint any better they are not even good enough to stand beside Stevie/keano/,viera/scholes . All them men played ball and took and gave a tackle. All thats there now with exception of one or two is a glorified bunch of mammy boys
Bang on from Gerrard. Mings tackle looked like a sore one, may have even injured Saka badly but it was just bad luck and that’s part of contact sport! The game as a spectacle has been majorly dented by soft officiating over the past 10 years lets not make it even worse.
So just because Gerrard has screws in his hips and 16 different operations that’s means that every English player from now on needs to end up like him or they haven’t had it ‘tough’ enough. What a silly comment from Gerrard. Probably said in the heat of the moment after the defeat I hope!
@kev egan: No he’s highlighting that it’s still a contact sport. To many fairies like saka expecting a foul every time they fall down cause someone breathed on them while running. Not every bit of physical contact is a foul. It’s not basketball
@Phil Redmond: fairies….
There’s clips of Gerrard saying his Rangers players need more protection..
I’m sure Stevie would be telling Saka to toughen up if he was a Villa player…
Twas an awful fall in fairness Steve,Glad ur ok…
I’m a huge fan of Stevie but this attitude of ‘fairies vs tough men’ is nonsense. Villa kicked him off the pitch, Mings was lucky not to see red. Players who rough up players and repeatedly foul are not tough…. they’re a bit rubbish at football is all.