**Yaya Touré Insists He Has Not Abandoned Ivory Coast**
Despite speculation about his international future, Yaya Touré has confirmed he remains committed to the Ivorian national team. The Manchester City midfielder, who has yet to respond to call-ups under new coach Hervé Renard, stressed that he has not ruled out representing the Elephants again.
“If I were resentful, yes, I would have said I’m done,” Touré told *L’Equipe*. “I can also tell you that when I go to the national team, it costs me more than it brings me. But it’s my country, and even if I’m the most insulted player in this country, even if I’ve been the laughing stock of everyone, I can’t abandon it.”
Touré also dismissed claims that he opposed Didier Drogba’s return to the squad. “They put me in opposition to Didier Drogba, claimed it was me who didn’t want him to return. Hervé Renard and I kept calling him to ask him to take his place back. He didn’t come, and everyone blamed me.”
Since Ivory Coast’s triumph at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Touré has not featured for the national team.
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