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New Ivory Coast coach wants Yaya Toure return

The new coach will have talks with the former skipper
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Marc Wilmots will try and talk former Ivory Coast captain Yaya Toure out of international retirement.

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The 48-year-old Belgian, who on Tuesday signed a two-year deal to manage the Elephants, said he will try and convince the Manchester City play maker to return to the team.

READ MORE: Marc Wilmots

"I know how important it is to have experienced players. It's not yet over for Toure, we've got to get him back," Wilmots said of the 33-year-old Toure.

"The Yaya Toure case will be one of my first missions."

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Toure announced his from international football in September 2016. He was capped 102 times in 12 years, scoring 19 times and reaching three Africa Cup of Nations finals (2006, 2012 and 2015), the last of which he won as captain.

A Toure-less Ivory Coast struggled at the last Afcon in Gabon, getting knocked out of the group stage while failing to win a game.

READ MORE:Yaya Toure

"I've seen the last two games that he played for Manchester City in a defensive midfield position. He's always great, he's so good physically," Wilmots, a former Belgian international player and manager, said.

"I'll go see him, I'll talk with him."

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Toure is a four-time African Footballer of the Year award winner.

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